A SIZEABLE grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has enabled the completion of improvements to Basing House .

During the last three years, HLF grants totalling more than £1million have helped to transform the Old Basing site, which was once the largest private house in Tudor England until its destruction following a siege by Oliver Cromwell’s forces during the English Civil War.

The grants have already helped to create a visitor centre in the restored Grade 1 listed Great Barn, improved access and signage throughout the historic site, and established a museum displaying artefacts recovered from the site.

The latest grant of £624,000 is for three key projects – turning the cow byre into an education workshop, installing a viewing platform which will provide a birds-eye view of the remains of the Tudor House, the Civil War earthworks and Basing Common – the site of the main Parliamentary siege camp – and repairing and conserving the historic brickwork and surviving archaeological remains.

The site will remain open as Hampshire County Council carries out the work. Students from Basingstoke College of Technology construction will also be offered work experience sessions at the site and an annual archaeological programme will provide further training for budding young archaeologists under the supervision of experts.

A wide range of volunteer training opportunities will be designed, focusing on conservation and heritage skills, working with Hampshire Building Conservation Trust.

Together with partnership funding from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and other grants, this investment has ensured that Basing House is now one of the top historic sites in the south east of England.

Stuart McLeod, head of Heritage Lottery Fund South East England, said: “This was a once great mansion whose destruction testifies to the violence of the Civil War. “This project will help conserve valuable remains while creating many opportunities for students and volunteers to acquire skills and knowledge, all of which will help protect heritage for future generations.”

Councillor Keith Chapman , Hampshire County Council’s executive member for culture and recreation, said: “Basing House is one of the most prominent historic sites in Hampshire, telling the story of one of the most important periods in our country’s history. “Visitors can get a real flavour of that remarkable story and this project promises to protect the historic remains as well as educate future generations about that period.”