Basing House

Basing House in Old Basing, Hampshire, is the ruin of a Tudor palace and fortified mansion that once rivalled Hampton Court Palace in size and splendour. Today visitors find foundations, earthworks and fragments of the lower ground floor, but the site tells one of the most dramatic stories of the English Civil War.

What was Basing House?

The mansion was raised in 1531 by William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester, a servant of the Tudor crown, on the site of an older Norman motte-and-bailey castle. It grew into one of the largest private houses in the country, built to host a royal court. Queen Elizabeth I stayed here in 1560, enjoyed the visit so much that she came back on two further occasions.

Why is it famous?

Its fame comes from the 1640s. The Paulet family, headed by John Paulet, 5th Marquess of Winchester, supported King Charles I, and the fortified house became a Royalist stronghold deep in Parliamentarian territory, close to the road between London and the west. Parliamentary troops besieged it three times. The garrison beat off the first two attempts. During the second, a relief column under Colonel Henry Gage broke through the besiegers' lines in September 1644 and resupplied the defenders.

How did it fall?

The third and final siege began in August 1645, when Colonel John Dalbier took up positions around the walls. The garrison held on until Oliver Cromwell arrived with a heavy siege train. In mid-October 1645 the house was stormed. Much of its valuable contents was carried off, and a fire destroyed the building. Parliament then ordered the ruins to be completely slighted and demolished. Accounts of the fighting also mention that people sheltering in the cellar, among them several priests, were killed.

What can you see today?

Not much stands above ground. What survives are parts of the basement or lower ground floor, the foundations and the earthworks. The ruins are a Grade II listed building and a scheduled monument. The earthworks make it easy to read the layout of the old castle site and imagine how the later fortifications used it. Local place names still echo the events: Slaughter Close and Oliver's Battery recall the final assault.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Basing House? In the village of Old Basing, close to Basingstoke in Hampshire, England.

Is anything of the palace still standing? Only low remains: parts of the lower floor, foundations and earthworks. The rest was destroyed in 1645 and the ruins were later demolished on Parliament's orders.

Who built it? William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester, in 1531.

Why did it matter in the Civil War? It was a fortified Royalist garrison that resisted three sieges before Cromwell's siege train brought it down in October 1645.

What happened to the Paulet estate afterwards? It was sequestered under the Commonwealth and returned to the family at the Restoration.

Is it worth a visit? Yes, if you enjoy Tudor and Civil War history. Come for the atmosphere of the earthworks and the story behind them, and combine the trip with a walk around the historic village of Old Basing.

Planning your visit

Check opening arrangements and access before you travel, as ruined sites of this kind often have seasonal hours. Wear sturdy shoes, since the ground is uneven and earthworks can be slippery after rain. A short read about the sieges beforehand will make the grassy mounds and banks far more meaningful, because the drama of 1643 to 1645 is written in the landscape rather than in standing walls. Allow an hour or two for the ruins, longer if you add the village and its surroundings, and bring a camera for the dramatic banks and ditches.