• By spring 1644, following Waller's victory at Cheriton in March, Parliament controlled most of the area around Basing House with garrisons at Odiham, Farnham, Basingstoke and Reading.  Basing House was still being held for the King and was not yet under siege, but it was only a matter of time before the noose tightened.
• The Basing House garrison attempted a pre-emptive strike against Parliament troops at Odiham  on 4 June but the raid was a disaster - the plans had been betrayed in advance, so the element of surprise was lost and many of the Basing House garrison were killed or taken prisoner.
   

• Basing House was under close siege from mid-June (the "Second Siege").  The blockade and bombardment continued throughout July and August.  By the beginning of September, the Marquis sent a messenger through Parliament lines to the King in Oxford, saying that he could only hold out for another 10 days.
• Colonel Henry Gage raised a volunteer force in Oxford and set out for Basing on 9 September - no easy task as Parliament controlled the countryside they had to travel through.  The relief force succeeded in driving the besiegers back and cutting their way through to the House in the early hours of 11 September.  This created a window for the House to be reprovisioned.
• Gage made it back to Oxford three days later, leaving 100 musketeers from Hawkins' regiment to strengthen the garrison.  He was knighted for his efforts.
• Parliament resumed the blockade, but lifted the siege in November when the weather closed in.

On Sunday the public site is extended to include part of Basingstoke Common, which is our battlefield for days 2 and 3 of the event. 

Sunday's battle will be in two phases, spanning the beginning and end of the Second Siege.  Phase 1 enacts the Basing House garrison's unsuccessful raid on Odiham on 4 June, with the survivors retreating to the House and Parliament coming up to besiege the weakened garrison.  Phase 2 enacts Gage's Relief on 11 September 1644.

The public site is open to visitors from 10 am and the living history displays will form the backdrop to the day's narrative. 

In the morning, we are portraying a House not yet under close siege, but surrounded and threatened by Parliamentary forces and with the future uncertain.  In the afternoon, we move the narrative forward to the difficult months of the Second Siege.

We plan a series of cameos and timed displays, including a wartime wedding, during the course of the day.   If you think you might like to take part in the cameos, volunteers are warmly welcomed so please get in touch with the event team (contact details in Orders).  Come back later for more details and timings. 

Photograph by Gareth Owen - SK

This page was last modified on 26 August, 2010