Discover and then Lay Siege to King John’s Castle, Odiham

Odiham Castle

Odiham Castle is one of only three fortresses built by King John. When construction finished in 1214, it boasted an octagonal keep, walls finished in stone, solid wooden doors, a lead covered roof and protection from the River Whitewater, moats, banks and fences.

The Ruins of King John’s Castle

Despite all this, by 1605 the castle lay in ruins. Today all that remains are the flint cores of the walls.

You cannot climb on these but can walk around the ruins and go inside the keep, where there are information boards about the castle and Magna Carta.

Basingstoke Canal 

The castle can be reached on foot by walking along the beautiful Basingstoke Canal towpath, either from North Warnborough or Greywell village (see below for details). 

We walked from Greywell and saw ducks, moorhens, grey herons and a huge, white bird that turned out to be a great white egret. 

Henry the Forgetful

There is a story trail available to download called “The Story of Henry The Forgetful”, which you can follow from Greywell village to Odiham Castle and back again.

You can read about our walk along the Odiham Castle Story Trail.

The Paths

The Basingstoke Canal tow path is generally wide and level but can be quite stoney. There are no barriers between the path and the canal.

Where to Park

I’ve found two options for parking, either Tunnel Lane in North Warnborough (RG29 1HQ) or Greywell village (RG29 1BY). 

From Tunnel Lane

The Basingstoke Canal goes across Tunnel Lane so is easy to find. Walk along the path with the canal on your left and you will arrive at King John’s Castle.

From Greywell Village

To reach the towpath from Greywell village, take the footpath that starts on Deptford Lane (RG29 1BS), which is the road opposite the Fox and Goose pub.

This path is narrow and there is a short hill down to the towpath but this did not cause us a problem and our double buggy went through without issue. Please note that there are no pavements on either Deptford Lane or Hook Road.

Hampshire County Council’s Story Trails

These are essentially walks with interactive stories to read along the way, as told by a cute character called the Story Snail. Each Story Trail is about one mile long and is divided into numbered sections that you read out as you reach number markers along the trail.

Finding a Copy of the Story Trail

To follow the Story Trail you need a free pack that you can either borrow from a specified place (with a Hampshire Library card and a £20 returnable deposit) or download a story trail from the internet in written or audio form.  

Each pack has a map to follow and the trail itself is marked with arrows and/or pictures of the Story Snail.

Nearest Town: Odiham, near Basingstoke and Fleet
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: RG29 1HQ or RG29 1BY (see above).

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic and a blanket. 
Facilities: Picnic table.

How Long We Spent There: About three hours.
Buggies: Buggy friendly.

Parking: I’ve found two options for parking, either Tunnel Lane in North Warnborough (RG29 1HQ) or Greywell village (RG29 1BY). Please see above for full details of parking. 
Cost of Parking: Free

Wildlife You Might See: Ducks, moorhens, herons, birds and insects. 

Information Written: February 2017

Our visit to Odiham Caste in Odiham, near Basingstoke and Fleet, is summarised below and you can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.