hook

Hook is a large village and civil parish in the Hart District of northern Hampshire, England.

It is situated 6.2 miles (10 km) east of Basingstoke and 36 miles (58 km) northeast of Southampton, on the A30 national route, just north of Junction 5 of the M3 motorway. London is 41 miles (66 km) northeast of the village.

In 2019, Hook had an estimated population of 8,208. Hook railway station currently has direct rail links to both London Waterloo and Basingstoke with indirect routes to Reading, Salisbury, and Southampton. Rail services are provided by South Western Railway.

Among the businesses located in Hook are Serco and Trimble Navigation. Between 2004 and 2006, Hook expanded eastwards with the development of the Holt Park residential district, and from 2020 northeastwards with the Green Hart Park and Oakwood Grange developments.

History

Until the 18th century, only a few scattered farms could be found in the area; small hamlets did not begin to appear until inns sprung up to serve travellers. Hook was located on the main London to Exeter stagecoach route. In the late eighteenth century, a turnpike road was constructed to aid the navigation of the steep Scures Hill, to the west of the village. In 1883, Hook railway station was constructed, and the village began to grow with railway workers and commuters settling in Hook.