It is here that the Lodden rises and meanders through fields and meadows to eventually meet up with the most famous of British rivers, the Thames. On a hill quite close to the railway station is a ruin that was once the Chapel of the Holy Ghost that is said to have been here since the time of King John, when churchyards were made to close on order of the pope, in retaliation of the wrong doings of the king. All that is left of the ruin is a section of walling but there are niches and bits of tracery still visible , and a figure of a knight can be seen with his legs cross, also a man in a long gown who it is said represents the Elizabethan Lord Sandys who arrange his own tomb here. He was one of the founders of this chapel and was at the coronation of Anne Boleyn who stayed with King Henry at the Vyne at Sherbourne, which was built by Sandys. He was also present on the scaffold when Anne Boleyn was later beheaded.

The lead of the roof was stripped bare to be used as shot by the men of Cromwell's army during the Civil War, but part of the towner was turned into a school room.

St Michaels church has a collection of wood and stone inside and there is always a feeling of being watched, as there are twelve figures standing in niches. Gargoyles peer down on the public who walk below its tower and the windows have Saint depicted in them including one of St Stephen with a bible and St Clare that has a basket of bread. A doorway full of  angels also adds to the gathering.

During an air raid in the Second World War a bomb did extensive damage to the east end of the church but this has now been restored though the destruction of 16th century painted glass was the biggest loss, this is said to have come from the Holy Ghost Chapel.

The Romans left many traces of their villas and farms around the Roman city of Silchester. The town museum has many exhibits on this and life from medieaval times in the city.

The town has many famous names associated with it including a 13th century Greek Scholar, John of Basingstoke  who was one of the first Englishman to master the Greek language and had many journeys to that country. He brought the famous book, The  Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs from Greece and this was originally part of the Bible that had been hidden for centuries. John died in 1252. Very little is recorded about Walter de Merton's birthplace but his parents are buried  in St Michaels.

Today the town is host to some of the UK's largest companies, including the headquarters of the AA (Automobile Association). One of its most popular museums is the Milestones, which is off of Churchill Way West. It houses a network of streets and buildings based on those found in Hampshire during the Victorian and Edwardian periods. Alongside these can be found a fascinating array of objects, from domestic items such as vacuum cleaners and radios, through to our renowned transport collections, which include buses, cars and steam engines.

The road system in the town can be a bit confusing as it has a Ring road system with many other dual carriageways branching off of it.