Basing House

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Old Basing House; Basyng

In the civil parish of Old Basing.
In the historic county of Hampshire (Modern Authority of Hampshire, 1974 county of Hampshire).

Ruins and fortifications of Tudor mansion, licensed in 1531, built on the site of a Norman ringwork and bailey castle (itself licensed for refortification in 1261), and possible prehistoric fortifications. Virtually destroyed in the famous siege 1643-45 when Cromwell directed the final assault. The resultant ruins provided a plentiful supply of bricks for building in the village after the Civil War. Excavations have also identified a possible early Medieval settlement and recovered Mesolithic and Bronze Age flint, and Iron Age and Roman pottery.

This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle
Fortified Manor House.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Masonry footings remains.

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1261 Aug 14.

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1531 Jan 22.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 2 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 138833)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SU66355259

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 240444

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 17765

• Web site links
  • http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_south/186/basingcastle.htm
    http://www.channel4.com/history/timeteam/archive/2000basing.html
    http://www.hants.gov.uk/hampshiretreasures/entries/v02p011e04.html
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of Wessex (Malvern) p32-4
    Allen, D. and Anderson, S., 1999, Basing House, Hampshire. Excavations 1978-1991 (Hampshire Field Club and Archaeological Society Monograph No10)
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p83
    Barron, W.G., 1985, The Castles of Hampshire and Isle of Wight (Paul Cave) p8-11
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p189
    Barton, K.J., 1983, 'Basing House, gatehouse' in Hughes, M. (ed), Archaeology in Hampshire Annual Report for 1982.
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p184-5
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Pevsner, N., and Lloyd, D., 1967. The Buildings of England: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight (London, Penguin) p88-9
    Hoare, 1932, Oldendays and Nowadays in Old Basing p.35
    Williams-Freeman, J.P.,1915, An Introduction to Field Archaeology as Illustrated by Hampshire (London) p42, 308-11, 390
    Oppe, 1915, Basing in the Civil Wars p.11
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Page, Wm (ed), 1911, VCH, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Vol4 p117-9
    Warren, 1906, 'Story of the Great Siege of Basing House' in Jeans, Mem. Old Hampshire (London) p250-62
    Doubleday, H. Arthur (ed), 1900, VCH, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Vol1 p479
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p191-6
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p322
• Journal Articles
  • 2000, CBA Archaeology Group 12 Newslwtter
    2000, Basingstoke Archaeological and Historical Society Newsletter 150
    Hughes, Michael, 1989, 'Hampshire Castles and the Landscape 1066-1216' Landscape History Vol2 p27-60
    Allen, D., 1987 Oct, CBA Group 12: Newsletter p18
    Barton, K.J., 1984 Jan, CBA: Newsletter and calender p135
    Millett, M. and James, S., 1983, Archaeological Journal Vol140 p249
    Barton, K.J., 1983 Jan/Feb, CBA: Newsletter and calender p156
    Schadla-Hal, R.T., 1980 Sept, CBA Group 12: Newsletter p10
    King, D.J.C. and Alcock, L., 1969, 'Ringworks in England and Wales' Château Gaillard Vol3 p90-127
    Wilson, D.M., and Hurst, D.G. 9eds), 1966, 'Medieval Britain in 1965: II Post-conquest' Medieval Archaeology Vol10 p190
    Orde-Powlett, 1966, CBA Group 12/13 Vol1 p36
    [Combley], 1964, Medieval Archaeology Vol8 p253
    Pike and Combley, 1964, Hants. Fd. Club Vol23 p11-20
    Brakspear H., 1924, Archaeological Journal Vol81 p360-4
    Peers, C.R., 1909, Archaeologia Vol61 p553-564
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Calendar of Patent Rolls (1258-66) p172
    Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, of the Reign of Henry VIII Vol5 p37 No80.36
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/wilshireeng.html#hants14]