King John's Castle

Great place for a little walk with a bit of history. Not much to do here but quiet and nice to look around. Parking is very limited I would suggest parking in the village and walking or find around the local area

Sadly there is not much left of the old King John's Castle. Awesome peaceful walk to the castle while you enjoy a half km walk, while taking in the scenery.
Still can't believe this was his hunting castle. Yes that's right his hunting castle, not his hunting cabin or house, his castle.
Definitely a lot of history, if you enjoy reading there are signs around the castle.
Just follow the signs on where to park and walk across the bridge where you will see a sign with a castle and pointing in the direction you need to walk. See attached photos.

Read more at Raif & Vy Travel Blog.

Not much left of the castle but a wonderful walk with the kids along the river to see what remains. Park near by was a little difficult but it was a wonderful summers days and such a beautiful peaceful walk.

Nice little restoration done since my first visit . Small Octagonal castle with quite a bit of history to it. Easy to park just the other side of the canal , but there is limited space .

Extract from Wikipedia.

In 1215 it was from either Odiham or Windsor that King John rode out to Runnymede, where he met the barons and attached his seal to Magna Carta. A year later Odiham Castle was captured by the French after a two-week siege during the First Barons' War in 1216. The garrison of just 13 surrendered on 9 July 1216. At some point over the next nine years the keep was renovated, possibly to remedy the damage done to it by the French forces. It has been suggested that at the same time the mound on which the keep sat was raised by 5 metres and an inner moat surrounding the keep was added to the defences. However, the inner moat was likely in place prior to the siege.

In 1238 Simon de Montfort married King John's daughter Eleanor just two years after she had been granted Odiham by her brother, King Henry III. In the following year a kitchen was added on a bridge over the inner moat and a new hall was added on the outside of the keep. During the same period a second building was constructed over the moat, this time on the south eastern side of the keep, to provide extra living space.

In 1263 De Montfort rebelled against Henry and died at the Battle of Evesham in 1265; Eleanor was exiled. Odiham Castle was again retained by the Crown.

The castle was also involved in the rebellion led by the powerful Despenser family against Roger Mortimer and Queen Isabella of France, the wife of Edward II.

Odiham Castle hosted Parliament at least once, in 1303. King David II of Scotland, after his capture at the Battle of Neville's Cross in 1346, was imprisoned here for 11 years. He was held under a light guard and was allowed to keep a household. Using the castle as a prison seems to have been common practice during the 13th and 14th centuries; the nearby Manor of Greywell was required to provide guards one night in three.

By the 15th century Odiham was used only as a hunting lodge, and in 1605 it was described as a ruin.

In 1792 the Basingstoke Canal was built through the southern corner of the bailey.

Impressive what is actually left for you to see.
There is a clear board that shows off what the castle looked like when you look through it.
There are multiple boards inside and outside the relic, which explains its history and significance.
Go stand inside a piece of history!
I bet you enjoy the beautiful walk along the canal on the way to the castle.

There is a small carpark at the end of the road before the drawbridge over the canal.

A fantastic visit and to delve into the history of the castle was a rewarding experience. Beautiful day to visit under clear blue skies.

Very lovely place. Just be careful there is not a lot of parking space. Castle is not that far from first parking spot. Plus there is nice walk alongside the river.

Follow Mr & Mrs R on TikTok. Interesting piece of history to see on the Basingstoke canal.

This was a return visit, previously made 30 years ago on a canal boat.

Was sad to see that the site was not kept in good order, a bit shabby and unkempt. But I will say it’s still worth the walk.

My 7yo child and I love visiting here after a walk along the canal - and always for a paddle in the nearby ford, which is the perfect place for a picnic. Accessible via bus between Basingstoke and Alton, and can be walked to from Hook train station :)

A free to visit ancient ruins. It is located almost in secluded place in Odiham. It must be magnificent in its best times some hundred years ago. It can be seen that the walls are so thick built with no bricks but stones and cement. There is no roof at present but imagining it's full structure puts you in awe. It is conserved by Hampshire County. You can finish reading all the details and the castle within minutes then what? You can stroll alongside canal. You can see ducks, fishes and a lot of aquatic plants, berries, wild flowers to make you feel good.

And yes be prepared not to get parking. We didn't see any pubs too and of course no toilets.

Free entrance to Odiham (St John's) Castle ground from the canal path and free access to inside the castle remains. Information boards provide fascinating insight into the historical construction and use of the castle! There is a parking bay at the roadside immediately south of the canal bridge with space for around 10 cars to park for free. Well worth a visit. A 20 minute walk west along the canal path and north up Hook Road gets you to a public footpath through a wooded area to stretch your legs even more.

Great little insight into history, well preserved, shame about the ugly fence surrounding it though!

Great spot to visit after a nice walk along the canal. The interesting history is presented nicely and well worth spending the time to read.

Bit of a hidden gem. It can be difficult to find via satnav, and parking close can be difficult, but the walks around the castle ruins along the canal are lovely- especially on a summer's day. Plenty of grass to sit and have a picnic, and its generally very quiet
It's free, with a few information boards telling you about the history.

Inspiring ruins along a quaint walk along the canal.

Parking quite limited

A nice little step back in time. A small ruin hidden in Hampshire. Free entry.

A nice walk along the canal up to the entrance to the grounds of the castle. The area is kept nice and ideal for a family picnic if the weather is nice or just sit for a while and take in the wonderful information that is presented. You may also be treated to a Chinook helicopter flypast in the distance.

The castle is well preserved and it was a nice place to visit. Unfortunately, more work needed to be done so we could not entirely enjoy visiting the castle.

By far the best day out ever.. Lovely walk along the river. Beautiful town, period dwellings. The castle was very interesting and a great place to picnic.

A Nice place. If you are in near here, you can take a walk here, it's so interesting.