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About KingsclereKingsclere is a great community! Much of the village is a designated conservation area, with 68 listed buildings plus 38 more throughout the remainder of the Parish. The buildings are listed as being of Special or Architectural or Historical Interest, testament to the fact that there has been a prosperous village on the site since medieval times. Prehistoric settlers were the first to enjoy the superb location, with chalk hills and springs making it an ideal defensive settlement. You can still see their ancient hill forts at Beacon Hill and Ladle Hill and there are many tumuli and earthworks in the area. The use of the name 'Kingsclere' began in the 13th century, probably because of the village's long association with the Kings of England - from Alfred in the 9th century to King John, Kingsclere was en route to Freemantle Park, the royal hunting estate, which existed until the 17th Century. Prosperity came to the village in late medieval times, when the wool and malt trades flourished and many of the beautiful buildings date from that time. The historic street pattern, based on St Mary's Church and Old Market Square, still exists with the main streets leading to Basingstoke, Newbury and Overton. More can be found about the history of the village by visiting www.kingsclere.org.uk, which was designed by Peter Goff, a Kingsclere resident who runs the Family History group at the Village Club. You'll find information on the manors of the Kingsclere Hundred, Tidgrove Manor, the First World War memorial and much more. Although a village steeped in history, Kingsclere has managed to keep pace with the demands of the modern world without losing its integrity and is a very desirable place to put down roots. It boasts its own library, fire station, police station, health centre, good schools and a comprehensive range of shops. Add to that three wonderful old inns, an Italian restaurant patronised by Lord Lloyd Webber (who lives close by on the Sydmonton Estate) and you can understand why locals are always being asked for inside information on homes for sale! A frequent visitor to Kingsclere is Radio Four favourite and sports commentator Clare Balding, whose brother runs one of the oldest private racing stables in the country at Park House Stables. Top jockeys can sometimes be spotted drinking at the Swan Inn in Swan Street. Kite-flying is a popular pastime on the high and windy hills around the village and there is terrific walking on Watership Down (immortalised by Richard Adams) and miles of cycle tracks. You can also follow the Kingsclere Millenium Trail, which reveals the village's history and secrets along the way. A local resident remarked “I moved here primarily because I keep ducks and wanted a house by a stream but I discovered it's a great place to live with more going on than in your traditional English village. The village shop is the place to go to find out absolutely everything that's happening!" Census information for Kingsclere can be obtained by clicking here Kingsclere is on the Hampshire/Berkshire border and is surrounded by beautiful countryside. It lies close to the A339, which links Basingstoke (9 miles) and Newbury (7 miles) and between the M3 and M4 corridors, with easy access to both. The mainline station at Newbury has a service to Paddington, and Basingstoke station serves Waterloo. There is an hourly bus service to Newbury and Basingstoke. The nearest local station is at Overton.
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