the powerful Despenser family against Roger Mortimer and Queen Isabella of France, the wife of Edward II. Odiham Castle hosted Parliament at least once, in 1303. King David II of Scotland, after his capture at the Battle of Neville's Cross in 1346, was imprisoned here for 11 years. He was held under a light guard and was allowed to keep a household. Using the castle as a prison seems to have been common practice during the 13th and 14th centuries; the nearby Manor of Greywell was required to provide guards one night in three. By the 15th century Odiham was used only as a hunting lodge, and in 1605 it was described as a ruin. In 1792 the Basingstoke Canal was built through the southern corner of the bailey. Preservation Odiham Castle is open to the public. The only visible remains are part of the octagonal keep and outlying earthworks. In September 2007 Hampshire County Council undertook a restoration of the shell keep under guidance from English Heritage. The most southerly corner of the moat survives in the form of a small overgrown pond on the opposite side of the canal from the rest of the castle. Two series of archaeological excavations have been carried out at the castle, one in 1953 reported in a local newspaper, and the other between 1981 and 1985, carried out by Hampshire County Council Museum Services. References Further reading External links Hampshire County Council Castles in Hampshire Grade I listed buildings in Hampshire Octagonal buildings in the United Kingdom Ruined castles in England Ruins in Hampshire Tourist attractions in Hampshire Odiham