In reply to Rebecca Waring:
I work near Aldermaston too (possibly where you will be working), however I don't really know Basingstoke at all well. There's actually quite a variety of types of places to live in the area, with Aldermaston being roughly in the middle of the Newbury, Reading, Basingstoke triangle. Reading is the largest and livliest of the towns with fast links to London and a newish wall. I lived there for a year but wasn't mad keen on it. Newbury is the smallest of the three but the best located if you want to head up north quickly by road. Personally I'd avoid places like Tadley or Thatcham. If countryside is your thing then west of the A34 is the place to live. It's much quieter, a little bit hilly, and there is great road and off road cycling. Hungerford is a nice little town in that area and there are lots of lovely villages.
As for the climbing scene. I don't really know much about it, I've always had partners to climb with so have never really needed to link up with it. It's not the best located area for climbing but in the last 11 years down there I've had countless weekends away all over the country from the north-west of Scotland to Cornwall, it just takes a bit more effort.
