The Basing Trail

The Basing Trail is a waymarked, circular walk leading to the picturesque village of Old Basing. The Basing Trail: This Trail features: ¤ The famous Civil War site of Basing House; its ruins, An attractive circular walk of up to 7 miles (shorter circuits are available). surviving buildings and earthworks still bear the scars Allow up to 3 hours to complete the entire circular walk. of its historic siege. ¤ Attractive parks of Eastrop Park, War Memorial Park and Basingstoke Common. This is one of three Basingstoke Heritage Trails ¤ Short cuts to create walks of either 2, 3 or 4.5 miles Interpretation panels are located at key points along the trail. For Basing House, continue upstream with the river on your right for another 100 metres where you will reach Trail leaflets can be obtained from Basingstoke the footbridge, which leads towards the main entrance. railway station, the Millstone public house in The Great Barn at Basing House Railway Viaduct Old Basing and from Basing House. To see the impressive 16th century Great Barn, or “Bloody Barn”; The landscape of the village of Basing was dramatically altered in the scene of some of the fiercest fighting during the Civil War of 1643; 1830’s by the construction of this immense railway viaduct. Here you must first cross the footbridge giving access to Basing House. the soft fenland of the River Loddon caused a major constructional G Before you stands the Great Barn and beyond this on the horizon challenge for Joseph Locke, the railway’s Chief Civil Engineer. IN TR are the earthworks and ruins of a medieval castle, later the home He overcame the problem by building this enormous structure. S A of William Paulet, Marquess of Winchester. The house was visited So successful was the railway that by the beginning of the 20th A I

L by Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and other monarchs. You too can visit this century extra lines were required. Consequently, the existing bridge

A33 site to learn more about the fascinating story of Basing House and thewas doubled in width; you can clearly see where the new section

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events that led to its destruction during the Civil War. Evidence of theabuts the old. Note the unusual, oblique brickwork in the arches.

seige of Basing still scars the Great Barn and the landscape today.

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The Interior of the Great Barn, circa 1900’s (Hampshire Record Office) Loddon Railway Bridge (photo c1920’s). See the Great Barn in the distance SHORTCUT: Walkers may take the marked Short Cut to reach St Mary’s Church, Old Basing (see map). The Basing Trail is a waymarked, circular walk leading to the picturesque village of Old Basing. The Basing Trail: This Trail features: ¤ The famous Civil War site of Basing House; its ruins, An attractive circular walk of up to 7 miles (shorter circuits are available). surviving buildings and earthworks still bear the scars Allow up to 3 hours to complete the entire circular walk. of its historic siege. ¤ Attractive parks of Eastrop Park, War Memorial Park and Basingstoke Common. This is one of three Basingstoke Heritage Trails ¤ Short cuts to create walks of either 2, 3 or 4.5 miles Interpretation panels are located at key points along the trail. Old Basing village Recreation Ground Trail leaflets can be obtained from Basingstoke The village dates from the Saxon times. However the appearance ofTodays recreation ground, with its cricket and football pitches, tennis railway station, the Millstone public house in a number of the houses today was influenced by the destruction of and archery grounds, was gifted to the parish council in 1947 by Mr Old Basing and from Basing House. the nearby Basing House. Much of the stone and brick used in the and Mrs Beddington. Betty Holmes (once Mrs Beddington) remained houses of the village was removed from the ruins of Basing House ina populated servant of the parish until her death in 2009. the late 17th century. ING TR Old Basing street scene S A A I

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Short Cut Oliver’s Battery This earthwork, known today as Oliver’s Battery, appears to be the GRESLEY ROAD motte and bailey castle remains of a large . William the Conqueror Basingstoke Station is thought to have passed through Basing during the campaign of Town Centre East Basing Roundabout House 1066. William may have instigated the building of fortiﬁcations on RI Eastrop N Roundabout CHURCHILL WAY WEST G Short Cut W this site, if this is indeed the case, it would make Oliver’s Battery one Eastrop Park A Y

E Basingstoke of the ﬁrst castles built in England. Festival A S Common Place T Eastrop A 3 Despite its name, Oliver’s Battery has no connection with Oliver 3 9

Cromwell, and is certainly in the wrong place for a battery Black Dam Roundabout A30 constructed for the famous Siege of Basing House (archaeological London Road d a o evidence reveals that the nearest gun position was in St Mary’s R on m m churchyard). Co d Basingstoke Ol M3 The motte was an earthen mound that would have supported the wooden keep of the castle. It once stood in the north west corner Nature Reserve of the site. Despite later ploughing it still survives to the height of 0 mile ¼ 0 War Memorial Park A3 0km ½ 1.6 metres. The two baileys, ditch & banks, (originally defended by H Black Dam Hackwood Road UT Arka Cartographics Ltd.© 2009 Y SO wooden stockades) are divided by a cross-bank and in the south Roundabout RINGWA Junction 6 west corner there is a gap which is probably the original entrance. Oliver’s Battery is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Motte and Bailey castle The Basing Trail is a waymarked, circular walk leading to the picturesque village of Old Basing. The Basing Trail: This Trail features: ¤ The famous Civil War site of Basing House; its ruins, An attractive circular walk of up to 7 miles (shorter circuits are available). surviving buildings and earthworks still bear the scars Allow up to 3 hours to complete the entire circular walk. of its historic siege. ¤ Attractive parks of Eastrop Park, War Memorial Park and Basingstoke Common. This is one of three Basingstoke Heritage Trails ¤ Short cuts to create walks of either 2, 3 or 4.5 miles Interpretation panels are located at key points along the trail. For Basing House, cross in front of the pub and follow the Basing Trail waymarks beside the river for Trail leaflets can be obtained from Basingstoke approximately 400m until you reach the footbridge which leads to the main entrance. railway station, the Millstone public house in Bartons Mill Old Basing and from Basing House. The Millstone pub was once a water mill owned by Mr Barton. If you Nowadays you can find several types of orchid, over 20 species visit the restaurant you can still see the mill wheels and water race. of butterflies, 400 species of moths, and over 100 kinds of birds. The picture below shows Barton’s Mill when it was still in use. The most secretive residents are the dormice on the edge of the wood. ING TR Mill Field Nature Reserve All this is present due to the efforts of Basingstoke and Deane S A The Mill Field Local Nature Reserve is a mixture of grass and Borough Council and the Mill Field Conservation Group. For further A I

L scrubland. Usually hay meadows once neglected gradually return information please visit:

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www.basingstoke.gov.uk/leisure/conservation/millﬁeld.htm

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improve the diversity of wildlife.

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Barton’s Mill viewed from the railway viaduct; photo circa 1920’s The Basing Trail is a waymarked, circular walk leading to the picturesque village of Old Basing. The Basing Trail: This Trail features: ¤ The famous Civil War site of Basing House; its ruins, An attractive circular walk of up to 7 miles (shorter circuits are available). surviving buildings and earthworks still bear the scars Allow up to 3 hours to complete the entire circular walk. of its historic siege. ¤ Attractive parks of Eastrop Park, War Memorial Park and Basingstoke Common. This is one of three Basingstoke Heritage Trails ¤ Short cuts to create walks of either 2, 3 or 4.5 miles Interpretation panels are located at key points along the trail. Old Basing Village Basingstoke Canal Trail leaﬂets can be obtained from Basingstoke The village could have begun in the Iron Age but it was most likely In the 1790’s the Basingstoke Canal was construsted to include a railway station, the Millstone public house in in Saxon times before permanent settlements were founded at Old village wharf which once stood near this spot. Later in the 1830s Basing. In the 17th century the church, like the rest of the village, even larger civil engineering works brought the railway through the Old Basing and from Basing House. was much rebuilt after the Civil War. A lot of the stone and brick usedvillage which in turn lead to the canals decline. A surviving canal in the reconstruction was removed from the ruins of Basing House, bridge and dry section of the canal still remain in the parkland in which was largely destroyed following a long and bloody siege. Basing House. Another trail the Canal Heritage Footpath traces the G original course of the canal near here. IN TR S A A I

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Interior of St Mary’s Church Dry section of the old canal and original bridge SHORTCUT 1: Walkers can take a shortcut from Old Basing church to the river Lodden at the Millstone pub by using the footpath opposite the church. SHORTCUT 2: Take walkers from the Common either to Basing House or to Eastrop Park this latter route avoids returning to Basingstoke by way of Crabtree Plantation (see map). The Basing Trail is a waymarked, 7 mile circular walk which starts at Basingstoke Railway Station The Basing Trail: and leads to the picturesque village of Old Basing. This Trail features: An attractive circular walk of up to 7 miles (shorter circuits are available). ¤ The famous Civil War site of Basing House; its ruins, Allow up to 3 hours to complete the entire circular walk. surviving buildings and earthworks still bear the scars of its historic siege of 1642. This is one of three Basingstoke Heritage Trails ¤ @ssq`bshud o`qjr ne D`rsqno O`qj+ V`q Ldlnqh`k O`qj and Basingstoke Common. ¤ Rgnqs btsr sn bqd`sd v`kjr ne dhsgdq 1+ 2 nq 3-4 lhkdr Interpretation panels are located at key points Bolton Arch Crabtree Plantation Originally part of the property along the trail. Only a sad remnant survives today of the impressive classical arch contr Trail leaflets can be obtained from Basingstoke that was named after the Duke of Bolton; a title held by the Paulet olled by Basing House, family in the 18th & 19th Centuries. This arch once formed an these lands adjacent to the railway station, the Millstone public house in Old entrance into the Hackwood Estate which, after the fall of Basing Bolton Arch have now become Basing and from Basing House. House, was the family’s main residence. Today the modern M3 a public open space and nature motorway has cut off this entrance from the rest of the estate, reserve. The woodland is rich leaving this arch to slowly decline from its original splendour. in wildlife, in spring you can see wild flowers, lords and ladies and ING TR other wild flowers, whilst in summer rare butterflies fly amongst the A canopies of oak, ash and horse chestnut. S Bolton arch in c1800 A I L

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0 War Memorial Park A3 0km ½ H Black Dam Hackwood Road UT Arka Cartographics Ltd.© 2009 Y SO Roundabout RINGWA Junction 6 The Basing Trail is a waymarked, 7 mile circular walk which starts at Basingstoke Railway Station The Basing Trail: and leads to the picturesque village of Old Basing. This Trail features: An attractive circular walk of up to 7 miles (shorter circuits are available). ¤ The famous Civil War site of Basing House; its ruins, Allow up to 3 hours to complete the entire circular walk. surviving buildings and earthworks still bear the scars of its historic siege of 1642. This is one of three Basingstoke Heritage Trails ¤ @ssq`bshud o`qjr ne D`rsqno O`qj+ V`q Ldlnqh`k O`qj and Basingstoke Common. ¤ Rgnqs btsr sn bqd`sd v`kjr ne dhsgdq 1+ 2 nq 3-4 lhkdr Interpretation panels are located at key points Black Dam Ponds along the trail. The Black Dam ponds lend their name to this suburb of Basingstoke. These quiet ponds, which contain a rich variety of aquatic wildlife, Trail leaﬂets can be obtained from Basingstoke were once ﬁsh stock ponds for the Hackwood estate. This estate also railway station, the Millstone public house in Old included Basing House. Basing and from Basing House. Today Black Dam Ponds, Crabtree Plantation and Eastrop Park are all managed by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council. A series of activities regularly takes place in these parks and volunteer groups G T also pursue a programme of conservation works. IN R If you would like to know more please use the Borough Council S A website: www.basingstoke.gov.uk/conservation A I

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Basingstoke Station Town Centre East Basing Roundabout House RI

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0 War Memorial Park A3 0km ½ H Black Dam Hackwood Road UT Arka Cartographics Ltd.© 2009 Y SO Roundabout RINGWA Junction 6 The Basing Trail: An attractive circular walk of up to 7 miles (shorter circuits are available). Allow up to 3 hours to complete the entire circular walk. This is one of three Basingstoke Heritage Trails

The Basing Trail is a waymarked, circular walk leading to the picturesque village of Old Basing. This Trail features: ¤ The famous Civil War site of Basing House; its ruins, surviving buildings and earthworks still bear the scars of its historic siege. ¤ Attractive parks of Eastrop Park, War Memorial Park and Basingstoke Common. ¤ Short cuts to create walks of either 2, 3 or 4.5 miles Interpretation panels are located at key points along the trail. Trail leaflets can be obtained from Basingstoke railway station, the Millstone public house in Old Basing and from Basing House.

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Choice of Routes: The Basing Trail leads to the Basing House vistor attraction (Allow 1⁄2 hour to walk from here). However other options are available (see Map). Walkers must choose which of these routes to follow: i)Back to railway station, ii)To Basing House via Eastrop Park or iii) via War Memorial Park to Basingstoke Common. A circuit of 4.5 miles goes as far as Crabtree Plantation and features the Common, Eastrop Park & the War Memorial Park. The Basing Trail: An attractive circular walk of up to 7 miles (shorter circuits are available). Allow up to 3 hours to complete the entire circular walk. This is one of three Basingstoke Heritage Trails

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Choice of Routes: This Trail leads to Basing House and the village before returning to Basingstoke Station. However other options are available (see Map). To visit Basing House, follow the waymarks towards Basing House and beyond. Alternately, walkers can take the Short Cut marked across the Common and return to Basingstoke by way of Crabtree Plantation and the War Memorial Park.