| HAMPSHIRE |
| Basing House |
Off A30, 2 miles east of
Basingstoke |
Dovecotes still un working
order and the walls of a Tudor garden remain as clues to a past of wealth
and power. Basing was the domain of the Paulet family from 1428. Two
centuries later their fortified Tudor mansion was razed to the ground by
Cromwell's troops. An exhibition in the 19th century Lodge House guides
visitors through the ruins that begins with the remains of the Norman
castle through to the Tudor period. |
| Beaulieu |
On B3054, 5 miles north-east of Lymington |
Palace House began its life as the 14th
century Great Gatehouse of a Cistercian abbey, and was adapted and
extended over the centuries into the present comfortable manor house. |
| Bishop's Waltham Palace |
In Bishop's Waltham |
The palace was built in
the 12th century by the Bishop of Winchester. It remained - with much
rebuilding - the seat of the Winchester's bishops until the Dissolution.
Final destruction came during the Civil War a century later, but some
melancholy grandeur still lingers by the walls of the bishop's massive
Banqueting Hall. |
| Breamore House |
Off A338, 2.5 miles north of Fordingbridge |
The many-gabled Elizabethan manor of pink
brick is set in parkland on the edge of the New Forest. The treasures
collected over centuries reflect the changing taste of nine generations,
and the decorations, and the furnishings range from sturdy Tudor
simplicity to ornate Regency elegance. |
| Broadlands |
Off A31 at Romsey |
At the centre of
landscaped parkland stands a square, white brick mansion with two
impressive porticoes. In the 1760s the 2nd Viscount Palmerston transformed
the original 16th century house. The result was this Palladian
masterpiece, and its natural park. Broadlands was the home of Lord
Mountbattern and Lord Palmerston and personal possessions of both men are
abound in this house. There are also superb collections of sculpture,
pictures and furniture. |
| D-Day Museum |
Southsea, Clarence Esplanade |
On the 6th
June 1944, British, Canadian and American forces - many sailing from
Portsmouth - landed in their thousands on the Normandy beaches to begin
the liberation of Europe from its Nazi occupiers. The centrepiece is the
magnificent Overlord Embroidery which took 5 years to complete and
measures 272 feet. The Museums unique and dramatic film show, which
includes original historic footage and archive film, is a moving evocative
experience that will stay with you forever. |
| Hospital of St Cross |
Off A333, 1 mile south of Winchester |
This is one of the finest surviving groups
of medieval buildings in Britain that date from 1136, a time of civil war
and famine. The king's brother, Bishop Henry of Blois of Winchester,
founded the hospital to home and feed the poor. A magnificent 15th century
gateway leads into the main court. The flats of brethren line one side of
the court and opposite the ambulatory leads to the chapel - the jewel
among the buildings. |
| HMS Victory |
Portsmouth |
HMS Victory symbolises the supremacy
of British sea power in the 19th century. As Admiral Lord Nelson's
flagship, Victory carried him to a decisive victory over the French fleet
at Trafalgar on October 21,1805. At spot on the quarter-deck marks the
spot where Nelson fell to a sniper's bullet, and the cockpit in which he
died has become a shrine. |
| Mary Rose |
Portsmouth |
One calm day in 1545 the Mary Rose, pride of
Henry VIII's fleet, set out from Portsmouth to engage the French invasion
fleet anchored off the Isle of Wight. As the Mary Rose sailed into The
Solent she heeled over and sank, taking with her 700 men. More than four
centuries later the ship's hull was raised and taken back to Portsmouth.
Many objects large and small were recovered and the hull of the ship is
displayed in the Ship Hall. |
| Mottisfont Abbey |
Off A3057, 4.5 miles
north-west of Romsey |
This Augustinian priory of
1201, became the private house after the Dissolution. Outside the north
front is of flint and the south of brick. Inside, the two main areas of
the house are open to the public. The impressively vaulted cellars were
one offices and storerooms. Upstairs is a large sitting room, whose ornate
plasterwork on the ceiling and walls is in fact a masterpiece of trompe
l'oeil painting. |
| Museum of Archaeology |
God's House Tower Off A33
Town Quay Road |
God's House Tower was
built in 1417 at the southeast corner of the city's town wall, and is the
first purpose built artillery fortification in England. In 1963 it was
opened as Southampton's Museum of Archaeology and now displays finds from
over fifty years of excavations in the city. The three main galleries tell
the story of Southampton in the Roman, Saxon and Medieval periods.
Southampton's archaeology collection has been awarded Designated status in
recognition of its national and international importance. |
| Museum of Army Flying |
Off A343 at Middle Wallop |
The army first took to the skies when the
Royal Engineers flew balloons in Africa so that spotters could report to
the gunners where their shells had landed. The Museum re-creates 100 years
of army flying in pictures and dioramas, uniformed models, weapons and
equipment. Pride of place goes to the aircraft from First World War
biplanes to the missile-carrying helicopters of today. |
| Porchester Castle |
Off A27, 2.5 miles east of Fareham |
Porchester Castle overlooks Portsmouth
Harbour, with D-shaped bastions, form a vast quadrangle and the longest
intact Roman wall in Northern Europe. Built in the 3rd century AD to
defend the shore against Saxon pirates, the fort's strength was recognised
900 years later by Henry II, who built his own castle within. Richard II
adapted this as a small palace. |
| Royal Armouries Fort Nelson |
Portsmouth |
Fort Nelson is a wonderfully restored
Victorian artillery overlooking Portsmouth Harbour. There are 19 acres of
underground magazines, tunnels and grass ramparts to explore. It is also
home to the Royal Armouries national collection which charts the development
of the big gun from the 15th century 'bombards' to the infamous Iraqi
Supergun. |
| Southampton Hall of Aviation |
Albert Road South, Southampton |
The hall celebrates some of the most
exciting and romantic years in aviation history - the inter-war years of
the Schneider Trophy, which Britain won outright in 1931. R.J. Mitchell,
designer of the Spitfire, also designed many of the Schneider Trophy, and
his work is commemorated in a section of the museum which includes a Mark
24 Spitfire and a Supermarine S6A. |
| Southampton Maritime Museum |
Wool House Off A33 Town Quay Road |
The Wool House was built in 1417 as a
warehouse for the medieval wool trade from Flanders and Italy. During the
18th Century it was used as a prison, evidenced by the names of French
prisoners carved into the wooden beams of the first floor. In 1966 the
Wool House opened as Southampton Maritime Museum. It houses one of the
finest collections of Maritime history in the world. Current exhibitions
include Titanic and the Queen Mary. |
| Southsea Castle |
Southsea, Clarence Esplanade |
A swivel-mounted cannon points across The
Solent from the walls of Southsea Castle, which houses a museum devoted to
Portsmouth's military history. The castle was built in 1545 by Henry VIII;
tradition says that it was from the walls of the castle that the king
watched as the Mary Rose sank. |
| Stratfield Saye House |
Off A33, 6 miles north-east of Basingstoke |
From the main gates, the drive leads
straight to the low 17th century building with cupola and simple portico.
For 170 years the Dukes of Wellington have preserved the house as a
monument to their ancestor. The hall is hung with paintings of
Wellington's battles and many gifts are on display from many of Europe's
monarchs. The Roman mosaic floors were excavated at nearby Silchester by
the 2nd Duke. The library has scarcely changed since Wellington sat there
surrounded by leather-bound books. |
| The Vyne |
Off A340, 4 miles north of Basingstoke |
Lord Sandys, Henry VIII's Lord Chamberlain,
built this low E-shaped house in a hollow by the River Loddon. The facade
is of rose-pink brick with a lattice design in darker plum. The north
front overlooks a lake, and its classical portico built in the 1650s was
the first to be added to an English country house. Exquisite interior
decoration includes fine linenfold panelling in the oak gallery, and a
staircase of fluted columns and plasterwork. |
| Winchester Castle |
In centre of Winchester |
The Great Hall of Winchester Castle is one
of the finest medieval halls in England, with a lofty timbered roof
resting on slender marble columns. The hall is the sole remnant of the
royal castle begun by command of the Conqueror in 1067 on the site of a
Saxon fortress, and rebuilt by Henry III. The remainder of the castle was
destroyed in 1645. Winchester was traditionally the Camelot of King
Arthur, and the Round Table now hangs in the hall. |
| Winchester Cathedral |
In centre of Winchester |
Winchester has had a
cathedral for 13 centuries, but the present building was begun in Norman
times. It appears massive, skirted by lawns, its square tower brooding and
low. Norman architecture survives in the crypt, and in the transepts. The
rest of the building is in pure Gothic style. |
