Our last trip for this U3A year was to North Warnborough and Odiham Castle. Even though we might have thought we were very familiar with the village and even the castle, we discovered a lot of interesting facts from our excellent guide, Jane Pratt. The tour concentrated around the canal and Odiham Castle. We were told about the history of the area including how North Warnborough was once surrounded by a huge deer park, where medieval royalty used to enjoy hunting.
We took a stroll down Mill Lane where we saw the 2 fords, which are now impassable. It’s only relatively recently that they closed as they were still passable at the beginning of this century.
The Whitewater Aqueduct where the canal passes over the top of the river.
View of the canal in the sunshine
There is a lift bridge over the canal on Mill Lane, which is brought into action to allow water traffic to pass through. The original swing bridge was replaced with the lift bridge in 1988 but It is still commonly referred to as the swing bridge.
Odiham Castle played a major part of English rule during the Plantagenet Dynasty. In the 13th & 14th centuries Odiham Castle gave shelter to Kings & Queens.
The ruins that we see today provide a unique record of medieval life. It is an octagonal keep, although not all the 8 sides exist today. In its prime it would have been faced with stone, roofed with lead and richly decorated inside. A circular moat and high bank used to protect the castle. Excavations in the 1980s indicated that there were a number of other buildings attached to the castle – gatehouses, bridges across the moats and formal gardens. By the mid 15th century the castle was left to go to ruin. The facing stone was taken, leaving the flint core that we see today. In 1792 the Basingstoke Canal was cut through the outer bailey.
It is believed that, on 10th June 1215, King John rode from Odiham Castle to Runnymede to sign the Magna Carta
We finished with an excellent lunch at the Mill House.