Odiham Castle

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.

Lovely canal side walk with a splash of history thrown in. Smallish ruins but with enough information to keep you informed. Great walking and beautiful scenery.

Kong John had this small Castle built here between 1207 and 1214. Although built as a stronghold, it was used primarily as a hunting lodge defended by deep moats. There are plenty of information boards inside the Castle to inform you of the history of this period. There are a few benches where you can sit or just have a picnic on the grass. The sides of the Castle appear to be made up of lots of hard flint stone embedded into the walls

Cute old piece of history. There's not much there so I wouldn't really go out of my way to see it unless I had other things to do too. It's just off a canal which is a lovely walk so tied in nicely to that. We spent about 10 minutes max there.

We have really enjoyed some of the previous locations we have visited, and this one is definitely up there with one of our favourite locations for finding a hidden, tranquil and peaceful setting at Odiham castle. It is locally known as King John’s castle and is built alongside the banks of the River Whitewater, nestled inside the stunning Hampshire woodland along the Basingstoke canal. This ruined castle was built between 1207-1214 by King John during his reign and served as his castle due to it being located halfway between Windsor and Winchester. It is said that Odiham was one of three royal castles that King John built and is seen as a rarity for this reason. King John seized 20 acres of land from a local lord, Robert the Parker for his new castle, and it took around 7 years to complete. As you walk inside you are also able to see a memorial from King John in 1215 which commemorates the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta. Overall, it is one to visit and I would suggest making a visit as it has alot of hidden depths and beauty behind it, the walk to find the ruin is tranquil aswell as you lead yourself along the canal, with various wildlife including swans on the water floating by. Luckily there are signs posting along the way, but once you have walked down the canal, you will see a British heritage sign followed by a sharp left, and you are greeted by the castle. A quick note to add – there isn’t a car park right near the castle, some walking is required, the nearest place to find a spot is the Colt Hill car park but nevertheless have a half day trip and take a picnic, it would be ideal to leave the car there. You can follow our journey and what we are getting up to on our Instagram and Youtube below: Youtube: Pinned on Places Instagram: @Pinnedonplaces