The district also includes the towns of Tadley and Whitchurch, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas.

Parts of the borough lie within the North Wessex Downs, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The neighbouring districts are Hart, East Hampshire, Winchester, Test Valley, West Berkshire and Wokingham.

[4] Charter trustees were established for the area of the former borough of Basingstoke, allowing the district councillors representing that area to choose one of their number to take the title of mayor, continuing Basingstoke's series of mayors dating back to 1641.

On 20 January 1978 the district was renamed Basingstoke and Deane and granted borough status, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor instead, with the charter trustees being dissolved at the same time.

[5][6] The name Deane was chosen to represent the rural parts of the borough as it was said by the council to be the area's smallest village.

The old Basingstoke Town Council had bought a large eighteenth century house called Goldings at 5 London Road in 1922 and converted it to become municipal offices.

[36] The area is served by BBC South and ITV Meridian with television signals receive from the Hannington TV transmitter.