The 1535 Progress: Basing House, Hampshire

…the greatest of any subjects’ houses in England, yea larger than most…of the king’s palaces.
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The Lost House At Basing

On Tuesday, 19 October 1535, Anne and Henry wound their way from Sherbourne St John towards the small town of Old Basing. The journey was short, probably two to three hours long, the court travelling for only five miles in a south-easterly direction until arriving at their destination: Basing House, the principal seat of Sir William Paulet, Comptroller of the King’s Household.

Approaching along the main road from the north, Basing House must have been an impressive sight, even more so because this significant Tudor building, which ultimately rivalled Hampton Court in both its scale and opulence, had been undergoing renovations for four years since Sir William was granted a licence to crenellate in 1531.

Because of the ultimate loss of almost all the records pertaining to the house, it is difficult to pinpoint dates for the construction of its various parts. There is, therefore, some debate about what Anne and Henry may or may not have seen when they came to Basing in 1535. It does seem unlikely that the New House existed at the time of the royal visit. However, it is less clear whether the Great Gatehouse had already been constructed, as remains of an earlier structure have been found underneath a later replacement.

Yet, within a short time, Basing was considered one of the finest residences in the country; it would come to contain some 360 rooms, with some parts of the building rising to five storeys in height and covering fourteen and a half acres. The Civil War Siege Diary, which was written in 1644, contains the following description of the house before it was destroyed in the famous two-year siege:

Basing Castle, the seat and mansion of the Marquis of Winchester, stands on a rising ground, having its form circular, encompassed with a brick rampart lined with earth, and a very deep trench, but dry. The lofty Gatehouse with four turrets looking northwards, on the right whereof without the compass of the ditch, a goodly building containing two faire courts…the south side of the Castle hath a park, and toward Basing town, a little wood, the place seated and built as if for Royalty, having a proper motto, Aymez Loyatte (Love Loyalty).

 The description illustrates the rather unusual layout of Basing House, the ‘Old House’ replacing the keep of the previous motte-and-bailey castle. This was located within a ring of earthworks and walls used for defence. The second building referred to, was the so-called ‘New House’; this stood outside the aforementioned protective ring. As it postdated the visit by the King and Queen, we shall not be concerned further with this latter phase of development, except to say that the two houses were linked by a bridge which spanned the defences, and it was this connection that was eventually to lead to Basing House’s destruction during the English Civil War.

As a result of the famous siege of Basing House and a fire which ultimately destroyed the building in 1645, very little, except the outer defensive earthworks of the Old House and some of the foundations of the buildings that once existed, can still be seen. Nevertheless, as you wind your way up the modern-day grassy bank that leads you from the remains of the outer gatehouse to the foot of the once grand, towering entrance, you might imagine the royal party being greeted by Sir William, that wily statesman of incomparable flexibility, who would come to serve every single Tudor monarch with assiduous loyalty.

Sir William Paulet – A ‘Very Gentleman’

It is worth spending a moment reflecting upon the character of Sir William, whose life story was surely remarkable in its time.  Born around 1483/5, William Paulet began his meteoric rise at court almost simultaneously with Anne. He was knighted in 1525 and appeared in the Privy Council the following year. By May 1532, he had succeeded the pro-Aragonese courtier, Sir Henry Guildford, as Comptroller of the Household, and later that year, he was with the King and Anne at Calais.

Paulet was at the centre of the historic events unfolding at the English court. Although often tasked with executing the King’s will in a variety of politically sensitive missions, such as reducing the household of Katherine of Aragon in 1533 and joining the Earl of Wiltshire in his mission to persuade Princess Mary to renounce her title in 1534, he seems to have garnered few enemies. We have an insight into why this might have been from Anne herself. After being arrested at Greenwich and conveyed to the Tower in May 1536, Anne complained of her rough handling by members of the King’s Privy Council, except Mr Controller, who she described as a ‘very gentleman’.

Sir William himself has left behind his own thoughts on the secret of his longevity in royal favour; toward the end of his life, when asked by friends why he felt he had been able to survive the great religious and political upheaval following in the wake of each successive Tudor monarch, he replied that it was on account of being a ‘willow and not an oak.’

The Royal Visit To Basing House

In 1601, Anne’s daughter Elizabeth arrived at Basing House during one of her summer progresses. During this visit, there were records of a dining and retiring room for the Queen’s use in the Great Gatehouse.

Sadly, however, virtually all the documents relating to Basing House, including a possible diary of the first Marquess of Winchester, were lost with the destruction of the house in 1645. Therefore, next to nothing is known of how individual rooms were laid out for the 1535 visit, nor where the King and Queen were lodged. Perhaps it was in the Great Gatehouse, perhaps in the old state apartments inside the defensive earthworks? I am afraid we will probably never know.

However, a wonderful vignette of information has survived the passage of time. It seems that Sir William Paulet’s grandson, George, must have seen the marquess’ diary, for in documents that still survive, he reports reading his grandfather’s account of Henry and Anne’s stay. In the margin, Sir William notes that the impromptu two-day visit cost him around £6000 (£600,000 in today’s money). Clearly, he was at his wits’ end, despairing that he would ever recoup the cost. No wonder the future marquess refers to his ‘poor house’ in a letter written to Cromwell just three days before the visit!

Finally, before you explore this pleasant spot and the traces of a long-lost house, it is interesting to remember the context of the visit and what was happening to Anne and Henry’s relationship around this time. On the day of the royal couple’s arrival at Basing, the King is described as being ‘merry’, and perhaps he had good reason. As we mentioned in the introduction to the 1535 progress, it is possible that Basing House was one of the handful of locations from the latter part of the progress where Anne’s longed-for but fated son was finally conceived; an intriguing thought!

Visitor Information

Basing House is not open during the winter season. Therefore, for up-to-date information on opening times and prices, please visit the Basing House website here.

Basing House is split between two sites. The main visitor centre and adjoining barn are located on one side of the road that runs through the centre of Old Basing, and the remains of the house and gardens through a Tudor gateway on the other.

The imprint of the old house is clearly visible in the earthworks, ditches, and building remains, which do not rise above the level of the ground. There is plenty of open green space for children to run around or to enjoy a picnic. Don’t forget to pop in and see the giant Lego model of the recreated house or visit the old barn, which has been definitively dated to 1535 by dendrochronology. You might also want to visit the parish church of St Mary in Old Basing. There, in the south chapel, you can see the stone monument to Sir William, built by the marquess during his own lifetime.

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BASING HOUSE MARKS THE FINAL STOP ON THIS 1535 PROGRESS. I HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED THE JOURNEY.