February 17th, 2012 
Tushar Mathur Exploring the road and ruins in and around Basingstoke sweeps visitors back into Iron Age, through the days when the area was part of the Roman Empire and into the bloody years of the Civil War when Oliver Cromwell himself led the siege at Basing House. Less than 50 miles from London, these 4 castles in and near to Basingstoke make a wonderful side trip for anyone with a little time and an equal amount of imagination. A good place to start is with Basing House itself:
Basing House – Basingstoke, Hampshire
Image Credit: Wikipedia
For visitors today, the oldest remains of Basing House are the defensive ditches and the huge ringwork of a castle built by the de Port family in the 1100s. The de Ports arrived in the area with William the Conqueror when he invaded in 1066. In 1535, Sir William Paulet built what was then the largest private house in the country on top of these ruins. As you enjoy the ruins and the remains of the house, picture it being attacked three times during the Civil War and finally falling in 1645 during a siege led by Oliver Cromwell. There is a fine museum as well on the property.
Odiham Castle – Odiham, Hampshire
Image Credit: Wikipedia
The ruins of Odiham Castle is one of those magical places that could easily serve as a dramatic backdrop for a Hollywood director trying to create a mystical atmosphere. It is one of three strongholds that King John build during his reign. He held up there for three weeks in 1216 while under siege by French Dauphin Louis VII. During the 14th century it hosted a sitting of Parliament, and King David II of Scotland was imprisoned there for 11 years. As it is only three miles from Basingstoke, including the ruins of Odiham Castle in your tour is easy to accomplish.
Farnham Castle – Farnham, Surrey
Image Credit: Wikipedia
Overlooking this historic town of Farnham and less than 30 miles from Basingstoke, visitors to Farnham Castle get two unique looks at British History. The Farnham Castle Keep dates to 1138 and was built by Bishop Henry of Blois. The shell and motte remain today and give visitors the feeling they’ve walked back into the Middle Ages. The Bishop’s Palace has been continuously lived in for some 900 years, and for 800 of those years it was home for the powerful Bishops of Winchester. It now serves as an active international conference center. There are excellent audio tours of both the Keep and Palace available.
Donnington Castle – Newbury, West Berkshire
Photo credit: Barry Skeates, Flickr
Perfectly situated on top of a hill overlooking the River Lambourne, this castle is an easy half hour drive from Basingstoke. It’s a rectangular building, three stories tall with two impressive towers flanking its gatehouse entrance. During the Civil War, Royalists capture the castle after the first Battle of Newbury. Colonel John Boys built protective earthworks around it in the shape of a star. They helped the castle withstand attack in 1644 and can still be seen today.
Finally, here’s another sight to look for as you’re touring the rolling countryside around Basingstoke. Ladle Hill, near the village of Burghclere and Watership Down—where have we heard that name before?—has an unexcavated Iron Age fort at the top and a Roman earthwork on its western slope.
Chris Turberville-Tully is a marketing strategist for ESA Serviced Apartments, a serviced apartments Basingstoke company offering spacious lodging in townes across Europe including Newbury, Southampton and Swindon.
