Lower Basildon

Basildon Park

The National Trust property, Basildon Park, is just above the church.^[2]

Black and white

The village is well-known locally for the presence of a row of timber-framed "black-and-white" houses to the west. However, only one of these possesses a true timber frame. The remainder are built of brick, and clad with timber to resemble framing. These latter houses are said to have been designed by Edwin Lutyens, who had been commissioned to design workers' cottages for Basildon Park.

Grotto and wildlife

Basildon Grotto, or The Grotto House, is located 0.8 miles (1.3 km) to the west on the road to Streatley. The grotto was built in 1720 and consisted of a rock chamber filled with shells and a rock pool, but was later destroyed. The summer house was extended at the beginning of the 19th century by Arthur Smith MP.^[3] It was until recently the headquarters of the Institute for Sport, Parks and Leisure (ISPAL), but it is now empty and for sale.^[4]

To the south-east of the village is the wildlife garden Beale Park.^[5]

Roman villa

The remains of a modest Roman villa were discovered here in 1839 during the construction of the Great Western Railway. The major finds were two superb mosaic floors, which were unfortunately destroyed almost immediately, although one was drawn in some detail beforehand by the antiquarian Charles Roach Smith. Nothing of the villa remains today.^[6]