Basing House, three miles east of Basingstoke at Old Basing village, was once one of the largest private houses in Tudor England — larger than Hampton Court. Built in the 1530s by William Paulet, it had 380 rooms and was sumptuous enough to host four monarchs. After Cromwell's siege in 1645 it was reduced to rubble. The site has never been built on again.
What remains is a substantial archaeological park: massive earthworks of the Norman ringwork beneath, brick foundations of the Tudor great house, a 17th-century barn, the dovecote and an ornamental gateway. English Heritage interprets the site well and admission is modest. On certain weekends in summer there are Civil War re-enactments. Combine with a riverside walk from Eastrop Park.