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Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland approximately 55 km (35 miles) southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council.
Aldershot is known for its connection with the British Army which established a permanent camp in the area for instruction in military manoeuvres in 1854. This led to rapid growth from a small village to a Victorian town.
The nearby villages of Ash and Ash Vale are in the county of Surrey, though their postal addresses are "Ash, Aldershot, Hampshire" and "Ash Vale, Aldershot, Hampshire", respectively.
Geography
Aldershot is located at (51.2500, -0.7833)1. The town is generally between 70m and 100m above sea level.
History
The name may have derived from 'Alder', indicating that it was a wet, boggy place. Aldershot, Alreshete, dates back to an Anglo-Saxon settlement. Aldershot was included as part of the old Hundred of Crondall referred to in the Domesday Book of 1086. The map of Hampshire in the 1722 edition of William Camden's Britannia or Geographical Description of Britain and Ireland shows a symbol for habitation in Aldershot in the Crundhal (Crondall) hundred.
In 1854, at the time of the Crimean War, the heath land around Aldershot was established as an army base with Aldershot at its centre. This led to a rapid expansion of Aldershot's population going from 875 in 1851, to an excess of 16,000 by 1861 (including about 9,000 from the military). The town continued to grow, reaching a peak in the 1950s.
Queen Victoria was a regular visitor to Aldershot and a Royal pavilion was erected for her use. For her Jubilee Review (21 June 1887), 60,000 troops lined up in the Long Valley. They stretched from the Basingstoke Canal to Caesar's Camp. Royalty and VIP's from all over Europe and the British Empire attended the event. The Aldershot Military Tattoo has since established itelf as an international event.
In 1974 Aldershot Borough and Farnborough Urban district were merged to form the Borough of Rushmoor under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972. It is claimed that Aldershot's town centre has declined in the latter half of the 20th century.
1972 Aldershot Bombing
On 22 February 1972 Aldershot experienced one of the worst mainland IRA attacks. Seven people, all civilian support staff, including cooks, cleaners, and a Catholic priest, were killed in a car bomb attack on the 16th Parachute Brigade headquarters mess at Aldershot. This blast was later claimed by the Official IRA as revenge for the shootings in Londonderry that came to be known as Bloody Sunday. * A memorial has since been built on the site of the attacks.
Landmarks
Aldershot observatory
The observatory is a circular red-brick building with a domed roof and it stands on Queens Avenue. Inside is a telescope, 8-inch refractor, mounted on a German-type equatorial mount with a clockwork drive. The telescope and observatory building were a gift from aviation pioneer Patrick Young Alexander to the British Army, a fact which is recorded by a plaque near the observatory door. It reads: ‘Presented to the Aldershot Army Corps by Patrick Y Alexander Esq 1906’.
Wellington Statue
A statue of the first Duke of Wellington mounted on his horse, Copenhagen, is situated on Round Hill behind the Royal Garrison Church. The statue is 30 feet high, 26 feet from nose to tail, over 22 feet in girth and weighs 40 tons. It was designed and built by Matthew Cotes Wyatt who used recycled bronze from cannons that were captured at the Battle of Waterloo. It took thirty men over three years to finish the project.Originally, in 1846, the statue was erected at Hyde Park Corner, London on the Wellington Arch. However, Decimus Burton, architect of the arch, had tried to veto this plan for his preferred 'figure in a four horse chariot'. Many agreed with Decimus Burton that the statue looked ridiculous since it was out of proportion. It was nicknamed "The Archduke" and was a popular topic in the satirical magazine Punch.
In 1883, due to a road widening project, the arch was moved a short distance and now looks down Constitution Hill. The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII ) wrote to the Prime Minister, Gladstone, "As regard the old colossal statue of the Duke. I would suggest that it should not be broken up but removed to Aldershot where it will be highly valued by the Army".
In 1885, The Prince of Wales handed over the monument to Lieutenant General Anderson, the commander of the Aldershot garrison.
Transport and communications
The railway station and bus station are both situated off Station Road. The former offering services to London Waterloo (2tph), Alton (2tph), Guildford (2tph) and Ascot (2tph)
Shopping in Aldershot
The Galleries, an extension of the town's mall, The Wellington Centre, was recently opened. It brought many jobs to the area as well as more shops, although recently, some of these shops have closed. Local traders claim that the new mall and development are threatening the independet shops that operate in Aldershot. *
Education
- Oak Farm Community School
- The Connaught School, Tongham Road
Leisure and recreation
The main theatre in Aldershot is the Princes Hall and is located on Princes Way. The Princes Hall plays host to over 80 professional shows per year as well as a 3 week pantomime. Built in the 1970's and remodelled during 1982 the current capacity is 600. Aldershot also plays host to many sports facilities such as Aldershot Tennis Centre, Aldershot Bowling, Aldershot Pools and Lido, Aldershot Garrison Sports Centre and Alpine Snow Sports (Dry Ski Centre).
Lido
Opened in 1930, Aldershot Lido is an outdoor leisure pool that contains one and a half million gallons of water situated on a 10 acre site. The original land was a lake that had become overgrown with weeds. It was bought by the Borough Council in 1920 for £21,000 and was the focus of the council's improvement projects for the town.The pool has extensive areas of shallow water for children to play including a large fountain at the centre. It also has a diving area and water slides. There is an adjoining 25m indoor pool that allows all year round swimming.
In 1948 the pool hosted the modern pentathlon for the London Olympics.
Sport
The local professional football team is Aldershot Town F.C.. Before 1992 the local club was Aldershot F.C., which folded on 25th March 1992. Aldershot Cricket Club is also based in the Town.
Media
The local press are the "Aldershot Mail", the "Aldershot News", the "Aldershot Courier", and the "Surrey-Hants Star".
Politics
Aldershot is divided into the following wards:
- Rowhill - southwest of the town
- Wellington - west, north and centre of the town
- Manor Park - south of the town
- Heron Wood - southeast of the town
- North Town - northeast of the town.
Aldershot's MP is Gerald Howarth (Conservative), with a majority of 5334 (May 2005). Of the 41 councillors on Rushmoor Borough Council, 15 represent the 5 wards that comprise Aldershot. Of these councillors, 8 are Conservative, 5 represent Labour, 1 represents the Liberal Democrats and there is 1 Independent.
Famous people from Aldershot
- Claude Auchinleck - Field Marshal
- Arthur English - Actor
- Jeremy Hardy - Comedian
- Ian McEwan - Novelist
- Stella Ross-Craig - Botanical artist
- Amelle Berrabah - Sugababes Musician
- Martin Freeman - Actor
References
External links
"Aldershot"