Visit Aldershot Places

Welcome to Visit Aldershot Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Aldershot

  

Aldershot Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Aldershot

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Aldershot history

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Early history

Aldershot was included as part of the Hundred of Crondall in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name may have derived from alder trees found in the area. Cistercian monks from the nearby Waverley Abbey established granges or farms on their outlying estates.

Growth in the Victorian era

In 1854, Aldershot Garrison was established as the first permanent training camp for the British Army. This led to a rapid expansion of the town’s population going from 875 in 1851, to in excess of 16,000 by 1861. Mrs Louisa Daniell set up her Soldier’s Home and Institute to cater for the spiritual needs of soldiers and their families.

Aldershot Military Tattoo

The Aldershot Command Searchlight Tattoo was held at Rushmoor Arena in the 1920s and 1930s. At one time the performances attracted crowds of up to 500,000 people. The Tattoo’s modern format, the Army Show, was cancelled in 2010 by the Ministry of Defence.

During the World Wars

In 1914 Aldershot had the largest army camp in the country with 20% of the British Army being based in and around the town. The Cambridge Military Hospital was the first base hospital to receive casualties directly from the Western Front. From 1939 to 1945 about 330,000 Canadian troops of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigades passed through the town during World War II.

Post War

A substantial rebuilding of the barracks was carried out between 1961 and 1969, by the architecture and engineering firm Building Design Partnership. The work was sped up under government pressure, and various new building technologies were employed with mixed success. Aldershot borough merged with Farnborough urban district to form the Borough of Rushmoor.

1972 Aldershot bombing

Seven people were killed in a car bomb attack on the 16th Parachute Brigade headquarters mess. The only army officer killed was a Catholic British Army chaplain. The bombing was claimed by the Official IRA as revenge for Bloody Sunday massacre.

Aldershot landmarks

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 (9.1 m) high, 26 feet (7.9 m) from nose to tail, over 22 feet (6.7 m) in girth, weighs 40 tons and is intricately detailed. It was designed and built by Matthew Cotes Wyatt who used recycled bronze from cannons captured at the Battle of Waterloo.

Aldershot Observatory

The observatory is a circular red-brick building with a domed roof and it stands on Queen’s Avenue. Inside is a telescope, 8-inch refractor, mounted on a German-type equatorial mount with a clockwork drive.

The Wesleyan Church

The former Wesleyan church on Grosvenor Road has a 100-foot tower that can be seen for miles around the town. Opened in 1877, the church served the Methodists of Aldershot for over 100 years and could seat 1,150 people until its closure in 1988.

Aldershot Buddhist Centre

Aldershot Buddhist Centre is billed as the United Kingdom’s first Buddhist community centre. The Centre was formally opened by the 14th Dalai Lama in June 2015. Rushmoor is the largest Buddhist community in the UK.

Union Building

The Union Poor House was built in 1629 as a sub-manor for the Tichborne family. It was one of five permanent local buildings purchased by the War Department in 1854 as part of the development of the new Aldershot Camp. In later years it saw a variety of uses before being redeveloped as flats.

You can visit Aldershot places with Walkfo Aldershot to hear history at Aldershot’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Aldershot has 81 places to visit in our interactive Aldershot map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Aldershot, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Aldershot places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Aldershot & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 81 audio facts unique to Aldershot places in an interactive Aldershot map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Aldershot Places Map
81 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Aldershot historic spots	Aldershot tourist destinations	Aldershot plaques	Aldershot geographic features
Walkfo Aldershot tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Aldershot

  

Best Aldershot places to visit

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Aldershot has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Aldershot’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Aldershot’s information audio spots:

Upper Hale Cemetery, Farnham Upper Hale Cemetery (also known as Hale Cemetery) is the burial ground for the district of Hale in Farnham in Surrey . Hale Cemetery is a burial ground in the area .

Park Crematorium, Aldershot The Park Crematorium is the crematorium for the town of Aldershot in Hampshire and surrounding districts, including North East Hampshire and parts of Surrey and Berkshire . It was designed by Frank Taylor and opened in July 1960 and is operated by Rushmoor Borough Council .

Brickfields Country Park Brickfields Country Park is one of the smallest country parks in Britain . The park is owned and maintained by Rushmoor Borough Council in Aldershot, Hampshire .

Holy Trinity Church, Aldershot The Church of the Holy Trinity is one of four Anglican churches in Aldershot, Hampshire . It is the parish church for the centre of the town being located on Victoria Road . A Grade II listed building since 1980, it comes under the Diocese of Guildford .

Presbyterian Church, Aldershot The English Presbyterian Church is the former Presbyterian church for Aldershot in Hampshire . Built in 1863 it served that denomination until 1972 when most congregations of the Presbyterian Church of England combined to form the United Reformed Church in England . By the late 1970s the building was derelict and was purchased by the New Testament Church of God .

Theatre Royal, Aldershot The Theatre Royal was a theatre in Aldershot in Hampshire which opened in 1891 and was demolished in 1959 . Charlie Chaplin appeared there in 1904 and James Mason made his stage début there in 1931 .

Municipal Gardens, Aldershot Municipal Gardens is an urban park in the town of Aldershot in Hampshire . It has been a public park since 1904 . In 2019 the Cenotaph received Grade II listed status on the Register of Historic England .

Princes Gardens, Aldershot The Princes Gardens is a short walk from the town centre on a site bordered by the town’s High Street, Wellington Avenue and Princes Way (formerly Barrack Road) It has been a public park since 1930 and is now managed by Rushmoor Borough Council .

Government House, Aldershot Government House is a building in Aldershot Garrison, Hampshire, England. It was built in the 1960s and 1960s. It is located on the site of Aldershots Garrison. It has been named Government House since 1961.

Officers Club Services Ground The Officers Club Services Ground is a cricket ground in Fleet Road, Aldershot, Hampshire. It was built in 1874 after the purchase of 25,000 acres of land by the War Office for military training. By 1874 it had been constructed for use by the various regiments garrisoned there.

Visit Aldershot plaques