page_title: Kingsclere
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Kingsclere / History
caption_attribution_description: English: of the Church of St. Mary, Kingsclere, Hampshire, UK, from the west, in evening sun, May 2014.
context_page_description: Kingsclere is a large village and civil parish in Hampshire, England.
context_section_description: Kingsclere can trace back its history to a place identified as belonging to King Alfred in his will between 872 and 888, the 'clere' possibly meaning 'bright' or 'clearing'.
  
  Kingsclere formed part of the ancient demesne of the Crown.
  In his will King Alfred left Kingsclere for life to his second daughter, Ethelgiva, Abbess of Shaftesbury,
  and there are other mentions of it in Saxon charters. In 931 King Athelstan at a Witenagemot at Colchester granted 10 hides of land at Clere to Abbot Aelfric, and in 943 King Edmund bestowed 15 hides of land at Clere on the 'religious woman Aelfswith'.
  While sixteen years later King Edgar gave his thegn Aelfwine 10 hides of land at West Clere.
  Local legend asserts that King John was troubled by a bedbug during a night in a Kingsclere inn, when prevented by fog from reaching his lodge at Freemantle Park on Cottington's hill.  He ordained that the church should erect and evermore maintain upon its tower a representation of the creature that had disturbed his sleep. It is recorded that King John stayed at Freemantle Park on 8 and 9 September 1204
caption: Church of St. Mary, from the west, (May 2014).
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