The Village of Odiham in the County of Hampshire

Did you know that the original name of Odiham is Woodyham, meaning "the settlement in the woods"? This is how the town was recorded by the Normans in 1084. The name has since then been spelled as Odiam and Odyham before becoming Odiham.

In 1234, Odiham and Windsor Forests were given to Ingel de Cigony to manage. He held the title of Forester and managed the Royal Forests, which were designated with royal hunting rights.

Odiham Castle has had a long and eventful history. King Richard liked Odiham Castle and Odiham Forest and used it as a refuge to flee from the barons in 1215 but was forced to ride and meet with them at Runnymede to sign the Magna Carta. Afterward, he returned to Odiham.

A year later, Prince Louis of France invaded England and had a successful campaign, capturing castles at Guildford, Reigate, and Farnham. Odiham stood in his way, but the castle was only garrisoned by ten soldiers and three officers. They resisted the French army for over a week and even managed to sally forth and capture 13 French soldiers.

The French were so impressed by the bravery of the defenders that they allowed them to surrender and leave the castle unharmed.

The castle was repaired after the siege, and many famous people, including Eleanor of Aquitaine, John de London, Nicholas le Gras, and Hugh le Dispenser, called the castle home over the centuries.

During the reign of Edward III, it was used to imprison the King of Scotland, David Bruce, after he was captured at the Battle of Neville's Cross. He was a prisoner at Odiham from 1346 to 1347.

It remained a royal castle through the reigns of Richard III until James I, who gave the castle to Lord Zouche in 1618.

Odiham once had, in addition to a royal castle, a royal palace near Palace Gate. Queen Elizabeth I stayed there in September 1591 and 1601.

The ruins of a priory chapel stand nearby in the grounds of a private residence.

The church at Odiham features an ancient font with the inscription "Auxilium Meum a Duo Qui Fecit Coetu Ira," which means "My help comes from the One who made the assembly of wrath."

In the churchyard are the graves of two French officers who died in Odiham as prisoners of war during the Napoleonic times. One has the inscription, "He was a prisoner of war; death has set him free."

The prisoners stayed in cottages at the bottom of the giant chalk pit, which later went on to be used as a rifle range.

By the road to Winchfield stands Frenchman's Oak, so called because it marked the limit of the French prisoners' freedom. It was a common sight to see French soldiers strolling down Odiham High Street arm in arm.

In the early days of aviation, airships were moored in the pit, and this is how RAF Odiham started.

When the South Western Railway was building the London Waterloo to Basingstoke railway line, the company wanted a station at Odiham, but this was resisted by the parish. Nowadays, residents face a long drive, walk, or bus ride to nearby Hook Station.