A proper piece of local history rather than another plaque attached to something built in 1987.
Basing House was, by the parish’s account, once the largest private house in the country. What is left is a set of ruins and earthworks in a quiet corner of Old Basing, and it is far more interesting than that description makes it sound.
What happened here
Work began in 1531 on a new palace for William Paulet, later the 1st Marquess of Winchester, who served as Treasurer to Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. It came in two halves: the Old House, inside the earthworks of an earlier castle, and the New House outside them, with around 360 rooms built largely to put up visiting royalty and their attendants. They came, too. The Great Barn was finished in 1534, just ahead of a visit from Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, and Elizabeth I stayed more than once.
During the Civil War the 5th Marquess, John Paulet, held the house for Charles I, and Parliament besieged it three times. The last siege began in August 1645. Cromwell arrived with heavy guns in October, and by 14 October the house had fallen after an assault of around 45 minutes. It was looted and burned, and afterwards anyone was allowed to help themselves to the building materials. Bricks from the house ended up in homes around the village.
The family later put their money into Hackwood House instead, on the estate whose old entrance is now the Bolton Arch at Crabtree Plantation.
What you see now
The site covers around 14 acres. The best of the ruins are below ground level: the wine cellar, bread ovens, salt alcoves, vaulted rooms and a tunnel, with the shape of the old defences still clear in the earthworks. There is a recreated 17th-century garden, and the Great Barn still shows its war damage. The old Basingstoke Canal ran round the site, and the River Loddon is right beside it.
St Mary’s Church in the village has bullet holes from the siege, which is worth the short detour. The Old Basing riverside walk starts nearby if you want to make a morning of it.
Visiting
Basing House is run by Hampshire Cultural Trust. The site is at Barton’s Lane, Old Basing, RG24 8AE, with a free car park and a visitor centre selling snacks and drinks.
It is not open every day, and it closes for spells through the year, so check the opening days on the official Basing House page before you set off. A ticket covers unlimited visits for a year, which makes a second trip in a different season an easy decision.
Location
