Guided Tour of Old Basingstoke and Basing House

Our visit will begin by gathering the free carpark for Basing House at 10.30am where we will be met by our morning guide, Alison Williams who will then take us on a tour of the village and the Church of St Mary’s. Old Basing is a charming strip village based around its central road The Street, with many examples of historical house architecture with house and place names relating to the villages’ roll in the English Civil War and Cromwell in particular. It has a long and fascinating history, beginning as a Royal Estate in the 9^th Centuary. The village also has a section of the Basingstoke Canal and the river Lodden close by. Please be aware that the tour will involve alot of walking, the roads are narrow with slight inclines and that the church is on an elevated site.

This will be followed by lunch. There are several pubs within the village or you may prefer to bring a picnic, tables and seating is available within the grounds of Basing House.

After lunch at 1.45pm, we will gather in the Visitor Centre at Basing House for a guided tour of the ruins of the House, the Great Tudor Barn and the re-created gardens. Our guide will explain the history of the house that began in 1531 by William Paulet, the 1st Marquess of Winchester and treasurer to King Edwards VI, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth 1. It was built on the site of a Norman Castle and was at the time both bigger and more opulent than Hampton Court Palace, entertaining King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn as well as King Philip II of Spain and Queen Mary after their marriage at Winchester Cathedral. The house was the site of three sieges during the English Civil War and was finally destroyed by Oliver Cromwell in 1645. The remaining ruins of the house, the ringwork and defensive ditches of the original fort and its gardens including the Knot garden, the walls of the original walled garden are all Grade II listed and now managed by the Hampshire Cultural Trust. Volunteers have also recreated the Jacobean Garden and the Lady of the House Garden, that we can visit. There is also an elevated platform that overlooks the site and a video of the view in the Garden Museum

Restrictions : Basing House is a large site, however some areas may be limited due to rough terrain or steep inclines. The village roads are narrow plus there will be alot of standing and walking.

Website Link : https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/basing-house

Booking To book for any of these events or if have any questions, please either book on our website or email events@hampshirearchivestrust.co.uk or write by post to Maskee, Stoney Lane, Medstead, GU34 5EL. Please state your method of payment when booking. To book on this website, you will first need to be a HAT Member and then need to be logged in.

Bookings