Page 2 - Visit Odiham

Odiham is a picturesque village beside the Basingstoke Canal that contains a rich collection of historic buildings and is surrounded by lovely countryside, with a network of interesting walks. As a royal manor it was the first entry in the Hampshire Domesday book.Odiham was a frequent stopping point for Norman kings and Odiham Castle was built during King John’s reign between 1207- 1214. A large deer park was created to the north of Odiham for royal hunting and this is still evident in the landscape close to the village. The Odiham area is criss-crossed by a network of footpaths where a walker can imagine medieval kings and queens enjoying hunting, hawking and recreation.King John left Odiham Castle for Windsor on 10th June 1215 and met baronial leaders at Runnymede that day, sealing Magna Carta there on 15th June. He returned to Odiham on 26th June and a translation of Magna Carta into vernacular French was attested here on the 27th.The parish comprises three main settlements: Odiham with its impressive High Street, North Warnborough, more rural and linear in layout, and RAF Odiham whose Chinooks are frequently seen flying in the area.Just off the High Street in The Bury, the striking 13th century Church of All Saints stands on the site of an earlier Saxon church. Adjoining the church is a rare surviving example of a pest house (sometime called Plague House), which dates from the 1620s. Nearby is the Bridewell, a former house of correction, where the Odiham Embroidery hangs that reflects the history ofthe Parish.A HISTORIC VILLAGE