KINGSCLERE

[Ham oet Clearian A.D. 873 x 888; Clearas A.D. 951 x 955; Clere A.D. 1086; ecclesiam de Kyngeclera A.D. 1110 x 1125],
In 1831 the parish of Kingsclere, which has been described as "too healthy to die in and too poor to live in", covered a far larger area than it does at the present day. It extended over 17,000 acres, and stretched from the River Enborne in the north to the Port Way, the ancient road from Salisbury to Silchester, in the south, Baughurst and Wolverton bounding it on the east, and Newtown, Burghclere and Litchfield forming its western boundary. Since then Kingsclere Woodlands has been formed into an ecclesiastical district, Ecchinswell and Sydmonton have been constituted separate parishes, and the area of Kingsclere with Kingsclere Woodlands is now only 13,116 acres of land and 10 acres of land covered by water.
The general rise of the ground is from the north up to the range of lofty downs in the south which runs from King John's or Cottington's Hill to Inkpen Beacon, near Hungerford. The town is situated in about the centre of the parish at the point where the roads from Basingstoke to Newbury and from Andover to Reading cross, and are joined by a road running north from Whitchurch. A stream rises about 300 yards south of Kingsclere and flows almost due north through the town to empty itself into the River Enborne, which form the boundary between Hampshire and Berkshire.
The town is picturesque, but none of its buildings present any special architectural interest except the parish church, which stands on the western side of the market place. The rectory was originally to the north-east of the church, but in 1855 the building was used as two cottages and afterwards demolished. Some of the oak panelling was taken to Beenham Court north of Kingsclere, when that house was being built [page, 249b] in 1875, and some is at Elm Grove, the residence of Mr William Holding, D.C.L., J.P., to the east of the town - a house built in the early part of the 18th Century and much enlarged and altered at its close. The ancient vicarage-house was to the south-west of the church. It was abandoned, and the vicar had no residence of his own until 1850, when the present vicarage was built at a cost of £1,407 on 2 acres of land given by William third Lord Bolton.
The Falcon Inn, one of the oldest in Hampshire, is especially interesting as being at one time in the possession of William Warham, Archbishop of Canterbury, who in 1510 gave it to Winchester College upon trust for the maintenance and support of the scholars upon its foundation. It is probable that the Kings of England often rode through Kingsclere on their way to and from Freemantle Park, to which they resorted for hunting. The park remained part of the royal demesne till the beginning of the 17th Century.
Kingsclere was also important during the Civil War owing to its proximity to Newbury. On 21 October 1644, Charles I intending to relieve Basing House marched hither from Whitchurch, but finding the enemy so greatly his superior in cavalry, after one night's halt he continued his march towards Newbury. According to Captain Symonds, the author of Marches of the Royal Army, the house at which the king spent the night was Frobury Manor House, about a mile north-west of the town, his host being Robert Towers. In this house, which is now occupied by the farmer of the lands, is still shown what is called a priests chamber. The following statement made by Edward Prior, a witness in an Exchequer suit of 1674, is also significant: "About the beginning of the late trouble there was a vicarage house in Itchinswell, wherein [page, 250a] the curate for the time being did usually live, which house partly fell down, and was partly pulled down in the times of the late trouble." About two miles south-west of Kingsclere, Cannon Heath Down, Cannon Park and Cannon Heath Farm preserve the memory of the canons of Rouen the early holders of the manor. Cannon Court was in the occupancy of James Hunte towards the end of the 16th Century. Charles first Duke of Bolton built Canham or Cannon's Lodge, probably on its site, from materials said to have been brought from the ruins of Basing House. It was for some time occupied as a hunting-box by the first Earl of Mexborough and afterwards by Henry Frederick, Duke of Cumberland, brother of King George III, but was pulled down in 1805. The heath now forms part of the training quarters belonging to the celebrated Park House Racing Stables which formerly belonged to Sir Joseph Henry Hawley, bart.; the present proprietors are the Dukes of Wellington and Portland, for whom Mr William Waugh trains.
The soil is chalk and clay, the sub-soil chalk. The chief crops are wheat, barley and oats. Kingsclere and Kingsclere Woodland contain 5586 acres of arable land 3013 acres of permanent grass and 1804 acres of woods and plantations. The common fields were inclosed in 1845.