Pest house was built 1622 and subsequently housed local people and travellers suffering from the plague, smallpox and other infectious diseases. Many such "isolation hospitals" were built in that period but the Odiham Pest House is one of only five examples surviving. It was restored by the Odiham Society in 1981 to form a mini Heritage Centre. William Lily Thomas Cox wrote in 1738: This Place is famous for giving Birth to Mr. William Lily, who wrote the Grammar; which, with some Alterations, is commanded by Act of Parliament in King Henry VIII's Reign, to be taught in all Schools. He died master of St. Paul's School, London, Anno 1522. Odiham Agricultural Society On 16 May 1783, a group drawn from 'Gentlemen of Rank, fortune and Ingenuity' plus some 'intelligent farmers' met in The George Inn, Odiham to inaugurate the Odiham Agricultural Society as a 'society for the encouraging of Agricultural and Industry in their village and neighbourhood'. Influenced by key members like Thomas Burgess and Granville Penn, the Society also resolved to reform farriery and animal care by establishing a school to teach veterinary science in England. This was to result in a far-reaching outcome: the foundation of the Royal Veterinary Society and the birth of the veterinary profession in Britain. Education Robert May's School was founded in 1694. In 2020, Hampshire County Council announced plans to close Odiham library. See also All Saints Church, Odiham, a Grade I listed building in the village HMS Odiham, a Ham class minesweeper The Basingstoke Canal, which passes Odiham. Further reading Derek Spruce The Church in the Bury: A Thousand Years of All Saints, Odiham Odiham Parochial Church Council (3 Nov 2001) References External links Odiham Parish Council The Odiham Society Odiham Community Hampshire Treasures Volume 3 (Hart and Rushmoor) pages 123, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, and 148, All Saints' Parish Church, Odiham Stained Glass Windows at All Saints, Odiham, Hampshire Odiham & Greywell Cricket Club Villages in Hampshire Civil parishes in Hampshire Hart District