3rd September - 2003
The Siege of Basing House by Alan Turton
Alan certainly took us all back to the year of 1536 when the grand Tudor fortified mansion called Basing House was built. It must have looked an excellent construction within the Norman earth works of Basing Castle. Queen Elizabeth 1, stayed there twice and on her second visit she must have enjoyed it so much she stayed thirteen days and it proved so expensive to the host, that he had to demolish part of his house to pay for it.
Alan has described the scene of this wonderful palace the largest private residence in England set in beautiful countryside adjacent to the River Loddon, a tributary of the Thames. It was owned by a John Paulet and he was one of the richest landowners in England. Alan then described the many attacks on Basing House while it was besieged for three years during the Civil War with the Parliamentarians (Cromwell's troops) surround the fortified building with the Royalist defenders in 1645 when with very heavy bombardment and even an attempt at poison gas burning wet straw mixed with sulphur and arsenic, the besieged defenders were overwhelmed. (more details below)
Cromwell ordered the demolition of the remains of Basing House and the Parliamentary soldiers were given the freedom to plunder the cellars of all the treasures they could find. The loot that was taken is estimated to be worth at least £10 million today.
Alan finally described the ruins and grounds of Basing House as they exist today, explained how Hampshire County Council have developed the site as a wonderful historic locations, and encouraged us to visit the grounds.
Alan was thanked for a fine delivery of his subject.
In November 1643 Sir William Waller's Parliamentary troops besieged Basing House. This mansion stood by the River Loddon, a tributary of the Thames, at Old Basing (12 miles South of Reading). It was the largest private residence in England, the site covering fifteen acres within a mile and half of enclosing walls and earthworks. The 'Old House' was a medieval fortress on a defensive mound. Next to it stood the palatial 'New House' which had 380 rooms and was five storeys high.
Basing House had been converted into a palace by Sir William Paulet, first Marquis of Winchester and Treasurer to Henry VIII, Edward VI and Elizabeth I. His successor John Paulet, the fifth marquis, now owned the house. He was one of the richest landowners in England, despite being a Catholic.
The Marquis of Winchester had been irritated by minor Parliamentary attacks on Basing House. He had therefore obtained permission from the King to garrison the house. Many of the occupants were Catholics and the Parliamentarians regarded it as 'the only rendezvous for the Cavaliers and Papists hereabouts'.
Sir William Waller's siege lasted only nine days. It was abandoned because of bad autumn weather and a rumour that 5,000 Royalist troops were coming to relieve the garrison.
In June the following year, 1644, Basing House was besieged again. Colonel Richard Norton had greater success than Waller and was supported by a heavy mortar bombardment. By early September the Marquis's garrison had been reduced from 400 to 250 men. He therefore sent a message to Oxford saying that he could hold out for no more than ten days.
Colonel Henry Gage, the Catholic commander of the Oxford garrison, raised a relief force consisting of Colonel Hawkins's regiment, a hundred volunteers and various servants. They disguised themselves as Parliamentarians and Colonel Gage, who as a young man had fought in the Spanish army, led them the forty miles to Basing.
The relief force succeeded in breaking through to Basing House, replenishing the garrison's ammunition and food. Colonel Gage and his party escaped by night and headed back to Oxford, swimming their horses across the Kennet and the Thames. The Colonel received a knighthood for this exploit.
During the siege Lord Edward Paulet, younger brother of the Marquis, tried to betray the house. He was foiled and made to execute his accomplices before being expelled from the fortress. However, he was subsequently readmitted and was with the defenders at the end of the siege.
Less than a fortnight after Colonel Gage relieved Basing House, Colonel Norton resumed the siege. More than seven weeks were to pass until Colonel Gage again relieved the garrison. By that time Norton had retreated to Farnham. It was November 1644 and two thirds of Norton's 2,000 strong force were dead, injured, ill or absent without leave. Basing House had withstood a six month siege with only the brief respite following Colonel Gage's first relief mission.
On Christmas Day 1644 the King made Colonel Henry Gage Governor of Oxford, in place of Sir Arthur Aston. The following month Gage was killed in a skirmish at Culham Bridge near Abingdon. He was given an impressive military funeral at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford where he is buried. He was a devout man who attended Mass daily. Three of his brothers were Catholic priests. A fourth, Thomas, had been a Dominican missionary to the West Indies and Central America, but had subsequently become a Puritan adviser to Oliver Cromwell.
The Civil War was all but lost for the King when Basing House was besieged for the third and last time. In August 1645 the Dutch siege engineer Colonel John Dalbier arrived at Basing with about 800 Parliamentary troops. He was soon joined by a company of soldiers from Reading, and later by a hundred musketeers from Southwark.
Dalbier spent a month scientifically planning his attack. He then went into action with devastating effect, causing much more severe damage than the previous random bombardment. He even tried an early form of poison gas, burning wet straw mixed with sulphur and arsenic upwind of the house.
About a fortnight after Dalbier commenced his onslaught he was joined by Oliver Cromwell, who brought state of the art heavy artillery. His largest gun is thought to have fired shot weighing between forty-eight and sixty-three pounds.
On Friday 10 October 1645 Cromwell and Dalbier commenced a concerted artillery bombardment. By Monday evening the walls of Basing House were well and truly breached. At dawn the following morning the Parliamentarians made their final attack, spurred on by rumours of treasure stored in the House and tales of numerous Catholic priests harboured there.
The storming of the house was ferocious. Between forty and a hundred of the inmates were killed, including six Catholic priests and many noblemen. The Parliamentary soldiers were given free rein to pillage Basing House. The loot was estimated to be worth about £200,000 (about £10m today). The troops raided the cellars and it may have been here that the fire started that burned for twenty hours and completed the destruction of the palatial fortress.
The Marquis was still defiantly protesting his loyalty to the King as the house burned. The Great Loyalist, as Paulet was known, was sent to the Tower of London on a charge of high treason and his estates were sequestrated. His two sons were taken away to be brought up as Protestants. The treason charge was later dropped, but he spent years in prison and suffered huge financial loss.
Cromwell ordered demolition of what remained of Basing House. The villagers of Basing were encouraged to loot the building for materials to repair their houses, damaged during the sieges. Some of the rebuilt cottages still exist.
The defenders of 'Loyalty House' responded to the Civil War very differently to the majority of Thames Valley Catholics, but it cost them dearly.
The remains of Basing House are now in the care of Hampshire County Council and are open to the public from April to September. Outside the main complex is the superb tithe barn (left), where Colonel Dalbier's Parliamentary regiment was stationed. Access to the ruins is through the gateway (top) used by Colonel Gage when he relieved the garrison. The earthworks are clearly visible, including the medieval mound on which the Old House stood. It is possible to walk among the foundations and cellars of the New House, and through the old walled garden with its dovecotes.
Map of Basing House - CLICK here
