Kingsclere, Market Place c.1960
Photo ref: K140073
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There are grey and red brick buildings here. The cottages straight ahead were built in the 1860s. On the left is the Crown Inn, where a gruesome event took place in 1944. US Army units were based around here, and ten US soldiers walked into the Crown and got drunk. Two US military police asked them for their passes. When they failed to produce these, the ten men stormed back to camp, helping themselves to rifles. On returning to the Crown they checked that the policemen were still inside and then opened fire, killing them and Mrs Napper, the landlord's wife. Nine of the soldiers were charged with murder and given life imprisonment. The tenth was discharged from the Army and given ten years hard labour.

A Selection of Memories from Kingsclere

For many years now, we've been inviting visitors to our website to add their own memories to share their experiences of life as it was, prompted by the photographs in our archive. Here are some from Kingsclere

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This photograph of George Street shows Pearce & Sons shop where my father (Ted Brown) worked along with one of the Pearce brothers as the village baker for many years.
We, in the choir led the procession: down through the village to the Church,(from Knoll Hill I think) .Brownies, Guides and other groups including the odd serviceman home on leave followed behind.I am standing in the road between the church and the Crown, surplice blowing in the chilly wind: the Vicar has said his piece and the silence descends. No one even thinks of moving or trying to drive by. There ...see more
St Mary’s Church at Kingsclere, north west of Basingstoke, is famous for a most unusual decoration, a weather-vane in the shape of a bed-bug, seen on the left hand side of the tower in this view. It is a very tasteful bed-bug, with six little crosses for legs, and another for its tail, but a bed-bug it definitely is. The story goes that back in the early 13th century King John was hunting in the area. A ...see more
When this photo of Newbury Rd. was taken I was 9. I used to walk from my house on Coppice Rd. Kingsclere to Newbury Rd. where I took piano lessons. I don't remember the name of the teacher but she played the organ at St. Mary's, and she was the sister of Mrs. Fred Hopkins, who owned the store on George St. Her black spaniel always sprawled over my feet while I played. I think its the reason I always ...see more