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Kingsclere is a large village and civil parish in Hampshire, England.

Kingsclere is approximately equidistant 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) from the towns of Basingstoke and Newbury on the A339 road.

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

On 5 October 1944, 10 black American soldiers belonging to a US Army engineering support group based at Sydmonton Court nearby, broke bounds to visit The Swan public house, but were ordered back by two MPs. On their return to base, the soldiers broke into the armoury, then returned to the village and laid siege to The Crown public house, where the two MPs were drinking. Both MPs were killed, as was the pub landlady.

In 1218, the king ordered that the market which had been held in Kingsclere on Sundays should in the future be held on Saturdays. Warner, writing in the 18th century, mentions a well-frequented market on Tuesdays, and fairs the first Tuesday in April and the first Tuesday after 10 October. In 1848 the market was still held on Tuesdays, but had fallen very much into disuse, only a few farmers meeting at the Swan Inn with samples, and it probably ceased altogether about 1850. The fairs continued (c. 1911) to be held€”on Whit Tuesday for pleasure on Ashford Hill and the Tuesday after Old Michaelmas Day for hiring servants and pleasure in the market place.

The former Falcon Inn, in Swan street, one of the oldest in Hampshire, is especially interesting as being at one time in the possession of William Warham, Archbishop of Canterbury, who in 1510 gave it to Winchester College upon trust for the maintenance and support of the scholars upon its foundation. The original 'Crowne' Inn is mentioned in the parish register in 1611 and the 'Golden Faucon' in 1628. The modern Crown Inn was built in 1853 and the Swan Inn dates back to well before 1848. Its sign proclaims it a 15th C. Rooming Inn.

The nearby Watership Down is the setting for the 1972 novel of the same name by Richard Adams.

Watership Down was also the site of the 1982 World Field Archery Championship put on by the Overton Black Arrows archery club from the nearby village of Overton.

The actress Lavinia Fenton, most famous for her role as the first Polly Peachum in John Gay's The Beggar's Opera, was lover and then wife of Charles Powlett, 3rd Duke of Bolton of the parish. Their eldest son, Rev. Charles Powlett, was briefly vicar of Kingsclere.

Walter Merton (died 1277). Rector in 1263 and founder of Merton College, Oxford.

Lord Cottington (died 1652), of Cottington, Freemantle from 1631.

Lord St. John (a.k.a. Marquess of Winchester) bought Frobury manor in 1546 and Kingsclere circa 1544.

Lt-Gen. Charles Powlett (Paulet), 3rd Duke of Bolton & 8th Marquess of Winchester, KG, PC (1685 1754).

John Porter, who trained horses just south of Kingsclere, 1867 1905.

The manor of Frobury is the western part of the modern parish of Kingsclere. In addition to Frobury the manors of North Oakley, Hannington, Sydmonton, Edmundsthorp Benham (Headley, and Beenham Court or Cheam School) and Ecchinswell used to be a part of the parish of Kingsclere.

The Highclere, Kingsclere and Basingstoke Light Railway was a proposed (circa 1896 1900) light railway connecting the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway (DNSR) with the London and South Western Railway (LSWR). Despite public support of the railway proposal, sufficient funding was never obtained and the idea was abandoned.

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We also used the following coordinates to generate the Google Map displayed on this page.  latitude 51.324955 and longitude -1.243170