Basing House

Lichen Studio were commissioned by Hampshire Cultural Trust in collaboration with PAD Studio to develop a masterplan for Basing House with the brief of revealing the site’s history and maximising the potential to attract visitors.

Our vision is to revitalise Basing House and create a destination, which attracts people for a variety of reasons and does justice to the historic significance of the place.

Basing House is a place of incredible history. Today it is a confusing collection of banks, ditches and ruins from several periods of history. The huge motte is all that remains of the original Norman castle built in the 1100s. By 1535 it was the site of the largest private house in the country and was frequently visited by Henry VIII. Basing House was attacked and besieged in the English Civil War, until Oliver Cromwell arrived with heavy artillery. By 13 October 1645, the walls of the house had been breached, Cromwell stormed the site and left it a burning ruin. Today, all that remains are the foundations of this once-great property.

The masterplan sets a series of strategic objectives to;

• Engage people for a variety of high-quality facilities, events and offerings, which engage a wide range of visitors.
• Reveal the incredible heritage and story of Basing House and reveal the significance of the site.
• Enhance the sense of place by strengthening the relationship between the site and people.