Conference govt02::basingstoke

    The river Loddon starts from about where Davies garage is - a fair way
    from Brighton Hill.  Sounds like a planners dream to me.
    
    Jc
     

    
    I think that the River Loddon actually goes right into town, probably
    underground for a lot of the way. That little dribble of water in 
    Glebe gardens at the back of St Michael's Church, is the same river
    and I believe it goes into/out of the lake at Black Dam.
    
    All this is a long way from Brighton Hill.
    
    I seem to remember Loddon Vale, as being someway north of Basingstoke.
    
    If it is a new developement, then could it be just the builders name 
    for the area ??
    
    

    It is almost certainly a builder's dream. They often do this whilst an
    estate is being built and then proceed to use it on their documentation
    to the conveyancers so that plots can be identified ahead of the local
    official designated address. This is why quite often if you start the
    machinations of moving into what you think is house number "X" it turns
    out to number "Y" after you have moved in and it takes weeks (Months!!)
    to get the plot number divorced from the house number. When my house
    was built it was on "SHERFIELD PARK" and there ain't no such address; I
    was still receiving mail with that address on it three years later. The
    easiest way to find out your correct address is to consult the main Post 
    Office.
    
    Keith

    .2  is right.  The Lodden flows under the town centre and pops up again
    in the park between Riverdene estate and Churchill way (opposite
    Wimgrove, if you remember that far back).  You can folloow it past Old
    Basing and on to the Thames just east of Reading of you are keen!
    
    Jc

    re: last
    
    That's Eastrop Park....
    
    I heard years ago that the Loddon 'rose' under the Bus Station, and
    there is directed through an outlet to the park and beyond. 
    Somehow, this turns into the Basingstoke Canal, but I'm not sure how.
    
    Basingstoke town appears to be on either side of a valley, 
    presumably that of the Loddon in times gone by, so almost 
    anywhere in the district could be named 'Loddon Vale'?
    
    Why is there a preference to use the name 'Loddon', rather
    than 'Basingstoke' for naming health trusts, housing estates, etc,
    when I would have thought that few people even know Basingstoke
    has a river, much less what it's name is?
    
    Mark, a Basingstoker for 21 years.
    

    Last night, I noticed that the name of the Indoor Bowls club at
    West Ham Leisure Park is: 'Loddon Vale Indoor Bowls Club'
    
    This might imply that 'Loddon Vale' is a bit upstream from 'Brook Vale'
    which appears consistent...unless the bowls club had been operating
    from a prior location. before the new building was erected. 
    
    Unfortunately this is miles away from the enclave in Brighton Hill
    which also claims the title 'Loddon Vale'...
    
    I rather fancy the club was formed when the new building arrived.
    Any club members care to enlighten us?
    
    Mark, A Tadley-ite for 11 years.

    The "brook" in Brook Vale is the "Loddon brook" (it is not really a
    river that close it its source).
    
    Jc  (who lived in Riverdene in 1980 - what did I do to deserve that :-)
    

	Some years ago I saw an ad in Country Life or suchlike
	for a Des Res. The description of the location was 
	something like Odiham x miles, Alresford y miles, M3
	z miles. Mystified as to where this could be I looked at 
	a map and discovered that it had to be Basingstoke
	or thereabouts.

	-John

    I've just asked a local estate agent about this.
    
    The story is that the area known as Loddon Vale is used to describe
    the development of Beecham Berry and Heathfield Road which is part of 
    Brighton Hill. Because it was built a little later that the rest of
    Brighton Hill the name has stuck. So geographically its part of
    Brighton Hill.
    
    Royston