Old Hampshire Mapped
Cobbett's Hampshire
Transcription (78)corn
hills
woods
Burghclere
Hampshire Downs
Highclere
Kingsclere
hillfort
John
The tops of the hills here are as good corn-land as any other part; and it is all excellent corn-land, and the fields and woods singularly beautiful. Never was there what may be called a more hilly country, and all in use. Coming from Burghclere, you come up nearly a mile of steep hill, from the top of which you can see all over the country, even to the Isle of Wight; to your right a great part of Wiltshire; into Surrey on your left; and, turning round, you see, lying below you, the whole of Berkshire, great part of Oxfordshire, and part of Gloucestershire. This chain of lofty hills was a great favourite with Kings and rulers in ancient times. At HIGHCLERE, at COMBE and at other places, there are remains of great encampments, or fortifications; and, KINGSCLERE was a residence of the Saxon Kings, and continued to be a royal residence long after the Norman Kings came. KING JOHN, when residing at KINGSCLERE, founded one of the charities which still exists in the town of Newbury, which is but a few miles from Kingsclere.
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