Camberley
Encyclopedia
Camberley is a town in Surrey
, England
, situated 31 miles (50 km) southwest of central London
, in the corridor between the M3 and M4 motorway
s. The town lies close to the borders of both Hampshire
and Berkshire
; the boundaries intersect on the western edge of the town where all three counties converge. It is the main town in the borough of Surrey Heath
. Camberley's suburbs include Crawley Hill, Heatherside, Yorktown and the Old Dean
.
The town has a population of 30,155, whilst the Aldershot Urban Area
(which also includes other towns, such as Aldershot
, Farnborough
, and Farnham
) has a population of 243,344, making it the thirtieth-largest urban area in the UK.
. The land remained largely undeveloped due to a sandy topsoil
making it unsuitable for farming. In A tour thro' the Whole Island of Great Britain
, written between 1724 and 1726, Daniel Defoe
described the area as barren and sterile; "a mark of the just resentment shew’d by Heaven upon the Englishmen’s pride... horrid and frightful to look on, not only good for little, but good for nothing".
In the 1750s, a brick tower was built on top of The Knoll in the 1750s by John Norris of Blackwater. It may have been used for communications but there is no firm evidence. The remains are now known as The Obelisk.
According to William Golding
's Lord of the Flies
the town used to be called Cambridgetown but was necessarily renamed to avoid confusion with Cambridge in delivering letters.
. At this time, the population was 702. In 1848, the parish church of St.Michael at Yorktown was built by Henry Woodyer.
Later, the Staff College
was established to the east of the Academy, and a property speculator built the nearby Cambridge Hotel. The surrounding area became known as Cambridge Town, but was renamed "Camberley" in January 1877 to avoid confusion by the General Post Office
with Cambridge
in Cambridgeshire
. The renaming of Camberley was mentioned in the 1963 film adaptation of Lord of the Flies
. The character Piggy states that the new name consisted of three parts; "Cam" taken from the original name of Cambridgetown, "ber" taken from the name of a nearby river (though in fact there is no river with this name), and "ley" because it is a common ending for English town names (as in neighbouring Frimley
), although the name was actually derived from the "Cam" stream which runs through the town (mainly underground), "Amber" Hill which was marked on John Norden's
map of the area in 1607 and "ley" usually meaning a clearing in the woodland. Hugh Edwards, the child actor who played Piggy, attended Camberley Primary School which was demolished to make way for the town centre redevelopment.
During the 19th century, Camberley grew in size. This was given added impetus with the arrival of the branch-line railway
and railway station
in 1878 and a reputation for healthy air, due to the vast number of pine trees, which were said to be good for those suffering from pulmonary disorders. By the end of the century the population had reached 8,400. Since then, the town has absorbed the original settlement of Yorktown, which is now regarded as part of Camberley.
. During the Second World War, the Old Dean
common was used as an instruction camp of the Free French Forces. The Kremer prize was conceived in the Cambridge Hotel in Camberley in 1959 after Henry Kramer toured a Microcell factory.
The Old Dean
housing estate was built in the 1950s on the "Old Dean Common" for residents of heavily bombed Surrey-area's homeless after World War II
. Many of the roads on that half of the Old Dean are named after areas of London, with the others named after places on the common.
Camberley falls under the siren test area of Broadmoor Hospital
, a secure mental hospital in nearby Crowthorne
. The siren was installed following a public outcry at the escape of child-murderer John Thomas Straffen in April 1952. The siren is still tested every Monday at 10am.
In 1969 there was an outbreak of rabies
when a dog, just released from a sixth month quarantine
after returning from Germany
, attacked two people on Camberley Common. The scare resulted in restriction orders for dogs and large-scale shoots to carry out the destruction of foxes and other wildlife.
, bowling alley, a health and fitness club, cafés and restaurants. Various elements of The Atrium was opened during 2008, with the final elements, the main cinema and bowling Alley, opening in October and November 2008 respectively.
In 2009 the town's households were named by Experian
as having the highest CO2 footprint
in the UK, estimated at 28.05 tonnes per household per year (compared to 18.36 tonnes for the lowest, South Shields).
's Hart district and Berkshire
's Bracknell Forest
district. It lies directly between the A30 national route and M3 motorway
(junction 4 exit). It is at the northern edge of the Blackwater Valley conurbation, 5 miles (8 km) north of Farnborough
, 8 miles (12.9 km) south of Bracknell
and 17 miles (27.4 km) east of Basingstoke
.
The smaller town of Frimley
, being so close to Camberley, is often thought to be a part of the town by many visitors to the area, although the two are, for the most part, separated by the M3 motorway. Frimley has its own town centre, a major regional hospital (Frimley Park
) and extensive suburban areas. In the 19th century, Yorktown and Camberley were in the Ecclesiastical Parish of Frimley.
The neighbouring town of Blackwater
, 3 km (1.9 mi) to the west is also considered by some to be a suburb of Camberley; however, it is actually situated in the Hart District of Hampshire
and has its own town council. The same could be said for Sandhurst which is home of "The Meadows" retail park and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
, all of which are in the Bracknell Forest
borough of Berkshire
.
is host to The Mall shopping centre, built around the Main Square
. This is a late 1980s development anchored by stores such as House of Fraser
. The Main Square features a large clock in the centre of the complex which also houses a lift up to a café opposite a Primark
store. The High Street
has a number of shops as well as bars and clubs, many of the latter being more recent additions. There are a number of secondary shopping streets including Park Street, Princess Way and parts of London Road, including the new "Atrium" development.
Major employers include Siemens
, which moved its UK headquarters to the area in 2007, Burlington Credit who moved into Watchmoor Park in 2009 and, until 2010, Sun Microsystems
, whose UK headquarters was located just across the Hampshire border in Minley
next to the M3 motorway at junction 4a, before the takeoverby Oracle and subsequent move to Thames Valley Park
in Reading
. Krispy Kreme UK
are based in Albany Park, an industrial estate to the south of the town centre.
, cinema
and theatre
and is home to the Surrey Heath Borough Council
offices. The Vue cinema opened in The Atrium development in late 2008 the year after an older cinema, owned by Robin's Cinemas, and situated on London Road some distance from the town centre, burned down in 2007 after having closed in 2003.
Camberley and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
are featured in a Doctor Who
comic story entitled "The Warkeeper's Crown".
A familiar landmark in Camberley is the concrete pipe white elephant which is on the A30
approaching The Meadows roundabout.
is situated south of the town centre on the Ascot to Guildford line
. It is connected to Guildford
, Aldershot
and Ascot
by South West Trains
with two trains per hour in either direction.
Due to Camberley's inconvenient situation between the South Western Main Line
and the Waterloo to Reading Line
, and capacity and stock constraints on the latter mainline, direct services to and from London Waterloo only run at peak hours, running via Ascot and Richmond
. At all other times, passengers from Camberley must change at Ascot or Ash Vale
for connections to London. Additionally, nearby Farnborough station (accessible within 30 minutes by bus) offers four trains per hour towards Waterloo, with stopping services to Basingstoke
and semifast services to Portsmouth
or Poole
every half-hour.
Nearby Blackwater station
(situated perpendicular to the A30
on the border of Hampshire
, Surrey and Berkshire
) on the North Downs Line
is operated by First Great Western
, and alternates between an hourly stopping service from Reading
to Redhill
and an hourly semifast service continuing to Gatwick Airport. All eastbound services call at Guildford.
The town is served by the following main bus routes:
Camberley lies on the A30
and lies between Junction 3 and Junction 4 of the M3 motorway.
There are two small airports nearby: Farnborough Airfield
at Farnborough
and Blackbushe Airport
near Yateley
. Farnborough Airfield is well-known for its International Air Show. Heathrow
is 30 km (18.6 mi) away.
The A30 leaving Camberley to the north for Bagshot has a large junction named the "Jolly Farmer Roundabout
" named after the Public House that stood on it. The Pub is now an American golf discount store.
is famous for being one of the largest in Surrey with over 2000 pupils. Kings International College
(formerly France Hill School) is also situated in Camberley. Other schools include Lyndhurst School founded in 1895 and one of only a few day preparatory schools with an unbroken history of over one hundred years, Lyndhurst School Day Nursery, Lakeside Primary School, Watchetts Junior School, Camberley Infant School, Crawley Ridge Junior School, Bristow First Infants School, Lorraine Infant School and Nursery, Cordwalles Junior School,
The nearest universities are Royal Holloway, University of London
which is situated 18 km (11.2 mi) east of Camberley in Egham
, with the University of Surrey
(at Guildford
) and the University of Reading
both being 25 km (15.5 mi) to the southeast and northwest respectively.
currently plays in the Premier division of the Combined Counties League
. The home ground is at Krooner Park, Wilton Road. Camberley rugby football club plays in the London League division 3 South West. The home ground is at the Watchetts recreation ground, Park Road. Camberley Cricket Club 1st XI plays in the Surrey Championship Division 1. Its ground is in Upper Verran Road. Camberley Midweek Cricket League is an after work cricket league that has been running for over 18 years. Members include cricket teams from local companies, schools and government organisations from Camberley, Frimley
and Farnborough
.
Camberley Lawn Tennis Club has five courts at Southcote Park on Portsmouth Road. Frimley Lawn Tennis Club offer social and competitive tennis. They play at the Watchetts recreation ground in Camberley. Mens, ladies and mixed teams play all year in the Aldershot and District LTA League. Camberley Chess Club plays at the Camberley Baptist Church Hall, Frimley Road, Camberley, GU15 3EN. They were 2007-8 Berkshire League champions. They also compete in several divisions of the Surrey Border League and are current holders of the Bell Trophy. Farnborough & Camberley Cycling Club was formed by an amalgamation of the renowned Camberley Wheelers cycling club and Farnborough Cycling Club in 1969. The Camberley Wheelers had a history that went back to the 1920s or 30s. A current (June 2011) member of the FCCC joined the Camberley Wheelers in 1935. Camberley Kart Club was one of the first kart clubs in the UK started in 196 and situated behind Blackbushe airport and car auctions. TS Diadem (Camberley Sea Cadets) was founded in 1955 and recently moved to new premises in Gilbert Road, opened by the Earl of Wessex in January 2011.
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, situated 31 miles (50 km) southwest of central London
Central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
, in the corridor between the M3 and M4 motorway
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
s. The town lies close to the borders of both Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
and Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
; the boundaries intersect on the western edge of the town where all three counties converge. It is the main town in the borough of Surrey Heath
Surrey Heath
Surrey Heath is a local government district with Borough status in Surrey, England. Its Council is based in Camberley. Much of the area is within the Metropolitan Green Belt....
. Camberley's suburbs include Crawley Hill, Heatherside, Yorktown and the Old Dean
Old Dean
Old Dean is a large housing estate on the outskirts of Camberley in Surrey, England.-History:Most of the estate was built in the 1950s on the Olddean Common for residents of heavily bombed Surrey-areas made homeless after World War II, and later expanded by the authorities to be used as a London...
.
The town has a population of 30,155, whilst the Aldershot Urban Area
Aldershot Urban Area
The Aldershot Urban Area is the name used by the ONS to refer to the loose conurbation on the border between Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire in England. They give it a population of 243,344, making it the thirtieth-largest urban area in the UK...
(which also includes other towns, such as Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
, Farnborough
Farnborough, Hampshire
-History:Name changes: Ferneberga ; Farnburghe, Farenberg ; Farnborowe, Fremborough, Fameborough .Tower Hill, Cove: There is substantial evidence...
, and Farnham
Farnham
Farnham is a town in Surrey, England, within the Borough of Waverley. The town is situated some 42 miles southwest of London in the extreme west of Surrey, adjacent to the border with Hampshire...
) has a population of 243,344, making it the thirtieth-largest urban area in the UK.
History
Before the 19th century, the area now occupied by Camberley was referred to as Bagshot Heath, which was known as a haunt of Highwaymen such as William Davies - known as the Golden Farmer - and Claude DuvalClaude Duval
For other uses, see Claude Duval Claude Du Vall was a French-born gentleman highwayman in post-Restoration Britain.-Early life:...
. The land remained largely undeveloped due to a sandy topsoil
Topsoil
Topsoil is the upper, outermost layer of soil, usually the top to . It has the highest concentration of organic matter and microorganisms and is where most of the Earth's biological soil activity occurs.-Importance:...
making it unsuitable for farming. In A tour thro' the Whole Island of Great Britain
A tour thro' the Whole Island of Great Britain
A tour thro' the whole island of Great Britain is an account of his travels by English author Daniel Defoe, first published in three volumes between 1724 and 1727....
, written between 1724 and 1726, Daniel Defoe
Daniel Defoe
Daniel Defoe , born Daniel Foe, was an English trader, writer, journalist, and pamphleteer, who gained fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe. Defoe is notable for being one of the earliest proponents of the novel, as he helped to popularise the form in Britain and along with others such as Richardson,...
described the area as barren and sterile; "a mark of the just resentment shew’d by Heaven upon the Englishmen’s pride... horrid and frightful to look on, not only good for little, but good for nothing".
In the 1750s, a brick tower was built on top of The Knoll in the 1750s by John Norris of Blackwater. It may have been used for communications but there is no firm evidence. The remains are now known as The Obelisk.
According to William Golding
William Golding
Sir William Gerald Golding was a British novelist, poet, playwright and Nobel Prize for Literature laureate, best known for his novel Lord of the Flies...
's Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies is a novel by Nobel Prize-winning author William Golding about a group of British boys stuck on a deserted island who try to govern themselves, with disastrous results...
the town used to be called Cambridgetown but was necessarily renamed to avoid confusion with Cambridge in delivering letters.
19th century
The town as it now stands has its roots in the building of The Royal Military College, which later became the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, in 1812. A settlement known as "New Town" grew in the area around the college which in 1831 was renamed Yorktown, after Prince Frederick, Duke of York and AlbanyPrince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany
The Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany was a member of the Hanoverian and British Royal Family, the second eldest child, and second son, of King George III...
. At this time, the population was 702. In 1848, the parish church of St.Michael at Yorktown was built by Henry Woodyer.
Later, the Staff College
Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
was established to the east of the Academy, and a property speculator built the nearby Cambridge Hotel. The surrounding area became known as Cambridge Town, but was renamed "Camberley" in January 1877 to avoid confusion by the General Post Office
General Post Office
General Post Office is the name of the British postal system from 1660 until 1969.General Post Office may also refer to:* General Post Office, Perth* General Post Office, Sydney* General Post Office, Melbourne* General Post Office, Brisbane...
with Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
in Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
. The renaming of Camberley was mentioned in the 1963 film adaptation of Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies (1963 film)
Lord of the Flies is a 1963 film adaptation of William Golding's novel of the same name. It was directed by Peter Brook and produced by Lewis M. Allen, known since for producing films based on modern-classic novels. The film was in production for much of 1961 though the film was not released until...
. The character Piggy states that the new name consisted of three parts; "Cam" taken from the original name of Cambridgetown, "ber" taken from the name of a nearby river (though in fact there is no river with this name), and "ley" because it is a common ending for English town names (as in neighbouring Frimley
Frimley
Frimley is a small English town situated 2 miles south of Camberley, in the extreme west of Surrey, adjacent to the border with Hampshire. It is about 31 miles west south-west of Central London. It is part of the Borough of Surrey Heath...
), although the name was actually derived from the "Cam" stream which runs through the town (mainly underground), "Amber" Hill which was marked on John Norden's
John Norden
John Norden was an English cartographer, chorographer and antiquary. He planned a series of county maps and accompanying county histories of England, the Speculum Britanniae...
map of the area in 1607 and "ley" usually meaning a clearing in the woodland. Hugh Edwards, the child actor who played Piggy, attended Camberley Primary School which was demolished to make way for the town centre redevelopment.
During the 19th century, Camberley grew in size. This was given added impetus with the arrival of the branch-line railway
Ascot to Guildford line
The Ascot to Guildford Line is a railway line operated by South West Trains.The name refers both to a service between Ascot and Guildford and a physical railway line between Ascot to Ash Vale....
and railway station
Camberley railway station
Camberley railway station is a railway station in the town of Camberley in Surrey, England. It is situated on the Ascot to Guildford line. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by South West Trains...
in 1878 and a reputation for healthy air, due to the vast number of pine trees, which were said to be good for those suffering from pulmonary disorders. By the end of the century the population had reached 8,400. Since then, the town has absorbed the original settlement of Yorktown, which is now regarded as part of Camberley.
20th Century
The Southern Scott Scramble, the first known motorcycle scrambling event, took place on Camberley Heath on 29 March 1924. The event, won by A.B. Sparks, attracted a crowd in the thousands and is considered to be the first instance of what later developed in the sport of motocrossMotocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
. During the Second World War, the Old Dean
Old Dean
Old Dean is a large housing estate on the outskirts of Camberley in Surrey, England.-History:Most of the estate was built in the 1950s on the Olddean Common for residents of heavily bombed Surrey-areas made homeless after World War II, and later expanded by the authorities to be used as a London...
common was used as an instruction camp of the Free French Forces. The Kremer prize was conceived in the Cambridge Hotel in Camberley in 1959 after Henry Kramer toured a Microcell factory.
The Old Dean
Old Dean
Old Dean is a large housing estate on the outskirts of Camberley in Surrey, England.-History:Most of the estate was built in the 1950s on the Olddean Common for residents of heavily bombed Surrey-areas made homeless after World War II, and later expanded by the authorities to be used as a London...
housing estate was built in the 1950s on the "Old Dean Common" for residents of heavily bombed Surrey-area's homeless after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Many of the roads on that half of the Old Dean are named after areas of London, with the others named after places on the common.
Camberley falls under the siren test area of Broadmoor Hospital
Broadmoor Hospital
Broadmoor Hospital is a high-security psychiatric hospital at Crowthorne in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It is the best known of the three high-security psychiatric hospitals in England, the other two being Ashworth and Rampton...
, a secure mental hospital in nearby Crowthorne
Crowthorne
Crowthorne is also a suburb of Johannesburg, South AfricaCrowthorne is a village and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest district of south-eastern Berkshire. It has a population of 6,711...
. The siren was installed following a public outcry at the escape of child-murderer John Thomas Straffen in April 1952. The siren is still tested every Monday at 10am.
In 1969 there was an outbreak of rabies
Rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that causes acute encephalitis in warm-blooded animals. It is zoonotic , most commonly by a bite from an infected animal. For a human, rabies is almost invariably fatal if post-exposure prophylaxis is not administered prior to the onset of severe symptoms...
when a dog, just released from a sixth month quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
after returning from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, attacked two people on Camberley Common. The scare resulted in restriction orders for dogs and large-scale shoots to carry out the destruction of foxes and other wildlife.
21st century
After much debate and delay (plans having been discussed for over half a decade), construction started in May 2006 on a new 7 acres (28,328 m²) mixed-use development west of Park Street. Named 'The Atrium', the new development includes residential, leisure and retail facilities, as well as a 900 space car park. There are 217 'design-led' apartments divided into three areas within the complex (named Centro, Aspect and Courtyard). Fourteen new retail units face directly onto Park Street, opposite the Main Square shopping centre. Park Street has been pedestrianised and landscaped as part of the development. Leisure facilities include a nine-screen cinemaMovie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
, bowling alley, a health and fitness club, cafés and restaurants. Various elements of The Atrium was opened during 2008, with the final elements, the main cinema and bowling Alley, opening in October and November 2008 respectively.
In 2009 the town's households were named by Experian
Experian
Experian plc, formerly known as CCN Systems, is a global credit information group with operations in 36 countries. The company employs 15,500 people with corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland and operational headquarters in Nottingham, England and Costa Mesa, California, US...
as having the highest CO2 footprint
Carbon footprint
A carbon footprint has historically been defined as "the total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an organization, event, product or person.". However, calculating a carbon footprint which conforms to this definition is often impracticable due to the large amount of data required, which is...
in the UK, estimated at 28.05 tonnes per household per year (compared to 18.36 tonnes for the lowest, South Shields).
Geography
Camberley is situated in the far west of Surrey, adjacent to the borders of HampshireHampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
's Hart district and Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
's Bracknell Forest
Bracknell Forest
Bracknell Forest is a unitary authority and borough in Berkshire in southern England. It covers the towns of Bracknell, North Ascot, Sandhurst, Crowthorne and surrounding villages and hamlets.-History:...
district. It lies directly between the A30 national route and M3 motorway
M3 motorway
The M3 motorway runs in England for approximately from Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, to Southampton, Hampshire and forms an unsigned section European route E05. It is dual three lanes as far as Junction 8 near Basingstoke and then dual two lane until Junction 9 near Winchester and then dual three...
(junction 4 exit). It is at the northern edge of the Blackwater Valley conurbation, 5 miles (8 km) north of Farnborough
Farnborough, Hampshire
-History:Name changes: Ferneberga ; Farnburghe, Farenberg ; Farnborowe, Fremborough, Fameborough .Tower Hill, Cove: There is substantial evidence...
, 8 miles (12.9 km) south of Bracknell
Bracknell
Bracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London...
and 17 miles (27.4 km) east of Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
.
The smaller town of Frimley
Frimley
Frimley is a small English town situated 2 miles south of Camberley, in the extreme west of Surrey, adjacent to the border with Hampshire. It is about 31 miles west south-west of Central London. It is part of the Borough of Surrey Heath...
, being so close to Camberley, is often thought to be a part of the town by many visitors to the area, although the two are, for the most part, separated by the M3 motorway. Frimley has its own town centre, a major regional hospital (Frimley Park
Frimley Park Hospital
Frimley Park Hospital is a large, 720-bed NHS hospital in Frimley, Surrey, part of the Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.It opened in 1974 to provide a full range of district general hospital services for North East Hampshire and West Surrey, a catchment population of about 365,000...
) and extensive suburban areas. In the 19th century, Yorktown and Camberley were in the Ecclesiastical Parish of Frimley.
The neighbouring town of Blackwater
Blackwater, Hampshire
Blackwater is a small town in the north-eastern corner of the English county of Hampshire, lying in the Hart District.-Location:It is situated on the borders of both Berkshire and Surrey about north of Farnborough, west of Camberley and east of Basingstoke on the A30 road. Blackwater is situated...
, 3 km (1.9 mi) to the west is also considered by some to be a suburb of Camberley; however, it is actually situated in the Hart District of Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
and has its own town council. The same could be said for Sandhurst which is home of "The Meadows" retail park and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
, all of which are in the Bracknell Forest
Bracknell Forest
Bracknell Forest is a unitary authority and borough in Berkshire in southern England. It covers the towns of Bracknell, North Ascot, Sandhurst, Crowthorne and surrounding villages and hamlets.-History:...
borough of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
.
Economy
Camberley's town centreTown centre
The town centre is the term used to refer to the commercial or geographical centre or core area of a town.Town centres are traditionally associated with shopping or retail. They are also the centre of communications with major public transport hubs such as train or bus stations...
is host to The Mall shopping centre, built around the Main Square
Main Square
Main Square is a complex of four apartment buildings in Toronto, Canada. The three-hectare site houses about 2000 people. It is located in the eastern part of the city at the intersection of Main Street and Danforth Avenue. The complex is located just north of the railway lines and the Danforth GO...
. This is a late 1980s development anchored by stores such as House of Fraser
House of Fraser
House of Fraser is a British department store group with over 60 stores across the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established in Glasgow, Scotland in 1849 as Arthur and Fraser. By 1891 it was known as Fraser & Sons. The company grew steadily during the early 20th century, but after the Second...
. The Main Square features a large clock in the centre of the complex which also houses a lift up to a café opposite a Primark
Primark
Primark is a clothing retailer, operating over 223 stores in Ireland , the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Portugal and Belgium...
store. The High Street
High Street
High Street, or the High Street, is a metonym for the generic name of the primary business street of towns or cities, especially in the United Kingdom. It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in city centres, and is most often used in reference to retailing...
has a number of shops as well as bars and clubs, many of the latter being more recent additions. There are a number of secondary shopping streets including Park Street, Princess Way and parts of London Road, including the new "Atrium" development.
Major employers include Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
, which moved its UK headquarters to the area in 2007, Burlington Credit who moved into Watchmoor Park in 2009 and, until 2010, Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
, whose UK headquarters was located just across the Hampshire border in Minley
Minley
Minley is a village in the Hart District of Hampshire, England. It lies on the A327 road between the M3 and Yateley. Its nearest town is Blackwater, approximately away from the village....
next to the M3 motorway at junction 4a, before the takeoverby Oracle and subsequent move to Thames Valley Park
Thames Valley Park
Thames Valley Park is a high-tech business park adjacent to the River Thames on the eastern outskirts of Reading in the English county of Berkshire.-Location and companies:The park partially lies within the civil parish of Sonning...
in Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
. Krispy Kreme UK
Krispy Kreme UK
Krispy Kreme UK is the United Kingdom subsidiary of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, an American company. The UK headquarters are based in Camberley, Surrey.-Conception:...
are based in Albany Park, an industrial estate to the south of the town centre.
Culture
The town has its own public libraryPublic library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
, cinema
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
and theatre
Camberley Theatre
The Camberley Theatre is a theatre in the town of Camberley, Surrey. The theatre is owned and managed by Surrey Heath Borough Council and the venue offers a variety of arts and entertainment....
and is home to the Surrey Heath Borough Council
Surrey Heath
Surrey Heath is a local government district with Borough status in Surrey, England. Its Council is based in Camberley. Much of the area is within the Metropolitan Green Belt....
offices. The Vue cinema opened in The Atrium development in late 2008 the year after an older cinema, owned by Robin's Cinemas, and situated on London Road some distance from the town centre, burned down in 2007 after having closed in 2003.
Camberley and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
are featured in a Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
comic story entitled "The Warkeeper's Crown".
A familiar landmark in Camberley is the concrete pipe white elephant which is on the A30
A30 road
The 284 miles A30 road from London to Land's End, historically known as the Great South West Road used to provide the most direct route from London to the south west; more recently the M3 motorway and A303 road performs this function for much of the route and only parts of A30 now retain trunk...
approaching The Meadows roundabout.
Transport
Camberley railway stationCamberley railway station
Camberley railway station is a railway station in the town of Camberley in Surrey, England. It is situated on the Ascot to Guildford line. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by South West Trains...
is situated south of the town centre on the Ascot to Guildford line
Ascot to Guildford line
The Ascot to Guildford Line is a railway line operated by South West Trains.The name refers both to a service between Ascot and Guildford and a physical railway line between Ascot to Ash Vale....
. It is connected to Guildford
Guildford (Surrey) railway station
Guildford railway station is an important railway junction on the Portsmouth Direct Line serving the town of Guildford in Surrey, England. It is 30.3 miles from London Waterloo....
, Aldershot
Aldershot railway station
Aldershot railway station is on Station Road, near the town centre of Aldershot, Hampshire, England. It is on the Alton Line, part of the National Rail network, with train services and station facilities provided by South West Trains....
and Ascot
Ascot railway station
Ascot railway station is a railway station in the town of Ascot in Berkshire, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by South West Trains. It is at the junction of the Waterloo to Reading line with the Ascot to Guildford line....
by South West Trains
South West Trains
South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
with two trains per hour in either direction.
Due to Camberley's inconvenient situation between the South Western Main Line
South Western Main Line
The South Western Main Line is a railway line between London Waterloo and Weymouth on the Dorset coast, in the south of England. It is a major railway which serves many important commuter areas, as well as the major settlements of Southampton and Bournemouth...
and the Waterloo to Reading Line
Waterloo to Reading Line
The Waterloo to Reading Line is a National Rail suburban electric railway line running generally westwards from London, England. It is operated by South West Trains...
, and capacity and stock constraints on the latter mainline, direct services to and from London Waterloo only run at peak hours, running via Ascot and Richmond
Richmond station (London)
Richmond station is a National Rail and London Underground station in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in south west London which is managed by South West Trains....
. At all other times, passengers from Camberley must change at Ascot or Ash Vale
Ash Vale railway station
Ash Vale is a railway station serving the village of Ash Vale in Surrey, England. It is situated at the junction of the London to Alton line and the line from Ascot to Guildford. The station and all trains serving it are operated by South West Trains....
for connections to London. Additionally, nearby Farnborough station (accessible within 30 minutes by bus) offers four trains per hour towards Waterloo, with stopping services to Basingstoke
Basingstoke railway station
Basingstoke railway station, in the town of Basingstoke in the county of Hampshire in England, is on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo, with local and fast services operated by South West Trains. It is also the terminus of First Great Western local services on the Reading to...
and semifast services to Portsmouth
Portsmouth Harbour railway station
Portsmouth Harbour railway station is a railway station in Portsmouth, England. It is situated beside Gunwharf Quays in the city's harbour, and is an important transport terminal, with a bus interchange and ferry services to Gosport and the Isle of Wight. The station currently has four platforms:...
or Poole
Poole railway station
thumb|right|Down stopping train in 1958Poole railway station is a railway station on the South Western Main Line serving the town of Poole in Dorset, England. The station is situated in the town centre next to Holes Bay...
every half-hour.
Nearby Blackwater station
Blackwater railway station
Blackwater railway station is a railway station in Blackwater, a town on the borders of Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire in England. The station is managed by First Great Western, who provide services on the North Downs Line from Reading to Guildford, Redhill and Gatwick Airport.Blackwater station...
(situated perpendicular to the A30
A30 road
The 284 miles A30 road from London to Land's End, historically known as the Great South West Road used to provide the most direct route from London to the south west; more recently the M3 motorway and A303 road performs this function for much of the route and only parts of A30 now retain trunk...
on the border of Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, Surrey and Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
) on the North Downs Line
North Downs Line
The North Downs Line is the name of the passenger train service connecting Reading, on the Great Western Main Line, to Gatwick Airport, on the Brighton Main Line...
is operated by First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
, and alternates between an hourly stopping service from Reading
Reading railway station
Reading railway station is a major rail transport hub in the English town of Reading. It is situated on the northern edge of the town centre, close to the main retail and commercial areas, and also the River Thames...
to Redhill
Redhill railway station
Redhill railway station serves the town of Redhill, Surrey, England. The station is a major interchange point on the Brighton Main Line 21 miles south of London Victoria...
and an hourly semifast service continuing to Gatwick Airport. All eastbound services call at Guildford.
The town is served by the following main bus routes:
- First Berkshire & The Thames ValleyFirst Berkshire & The Thames ValleyFirst Berkshire & The Thames Valley is a bus operator serving Bracknell, Slough and Wokingham, in England. It is part of First Group, a major bus and train operator with a turnover of nearly £2.5 billion a year and 62,000 employees across the UK and North America...
: 194 to Bracknell - Arriva Guildford & West Surrey: 34 to Guildford via Woking
- Stagecoach in HampshireStagecoach in HampshireHampshire Bus Company Ltd. trading as Stagecoach in Hampshire is an operating sub-division of Stagecoach South, part of the Stagecoach Group.Its main bases of operation are Andover, Basingstoke and Winchester.-Local:...
: 10 to Basingstoke - Stagecoach in Hants & SurreyStagecoach in Hants & SurreyStagecoach in Hants & Surrey is an operating sub-division Stagecoach South, which itself is part of the Stagecoach Group.Together, Stagecoach South carries 29.5 million passengers a year with a fleet of 460 buses and 950 staff.-Services:...
: 1, 2 & 3 to Aldershot and Farnborough - Dicksons Travel: 500 & 501 to local areas
- Countryliner: 11 to/from Farnborough and Frimley park Hospital via Deepcut
Camberley lies on the A30
A30 road
The 284 miles A30 road from London to Land's End, historically known as the Great South West Road used to provide the most direct route from London to the south west; more recently the M3 motorway and A303 road performs this function for much of the route and only parts of A30 now retain trunk...
and lies between Junction 3 and Junction 4 of the M3 motorway.
There are two small airports nearby: Farnborough Airfield
Farnborough Airfield
Farnborough Airport or TAG London Farnborough Airport is an airport situated in Farnborough, Rushmoor, Hampshire, England...
at Farnborough
Farnborough, Hampshire
-History:Name changes: Ferneberga ; Farnburghe, Farenberg ; Farnborowe, Fremborough, Fameborough .Tower Hill, Cove: There is substantial evidence...
and Blackbushe Airport
Blackbushe Airport
Blackbushe Airport , in the civil parish of Yateley in the north-east corner of the English county of Hampshire, comprises an airfield, much reduced in size since its heyday, a British Car Auctions site, a kart track owned by Camberley Kart Club, and a small business park...
near Yateley
Yateley
Yateley is a suburban town and civil parish in the English county of Hampshire. It lies in the north-eastern corner of Hart District Council. It includes the settlements of Frogmore and Darby Green. It had a population of 21,011 according to the 2001 census...
. Farnborough Airfield is well-known for its International Air Show. Heathrow
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
is 30 km (18.6 mi) away.
The A30 leaving Camberley to the north for Bagshot has a large junction named the "Jolly Farmer Roundabout
Jolly Farmer
The Jolly Farmer is a roundabout on the A30 between Camberley and Bagshot in Surrey, UK.Origins of the Jolly Farmer name date to the late 17th century when there was a highwayman called William Davies who worked on Bagshot Heath and allegedly only took gold from his victims. His identity was...
" named after the Public House that stood on it. The Pub is now an American golf discount store.
Education
There are a number of schools in Camberley. Collingwood CollegeCollingwood College, Surrey
Collingwood College is a state secondary school located in Camberley, Surrey, England for 11-18 year olds.-Admissions:It is one of the best secondary schools in Surrey, and the third biggest in the UK, with over 2000 pupils, including more than 400 in the Sixth Form...
is famous for being one of the largest in Surrey with over 2000 pupils. Kings International College
Kings International College
Kings International College is a secondary school in Camberley, Surrey near junction 4 of the M3 Motorway. The college has around 750 students, with 50 teaching staff and 25 associate staff...
(formerly France Hill School) is also situated in Camberley. Other schools include Lyndhurst School founded in 1895 and one of only a few day preparatory schools with an unbroken history of over one hundred years, Lyndhurst School Day Nursery, Lakeside Primary School, Watchetts Junior School, Camberley Infant School, Crawley Ridge Junior School, Bristow First Infants School, Lorraine Infant School and Nursery, Cordwalles Junior School,
The nearest universities are Royal Holloway, University of London
Royal Holloway, University of London
Royal Holloway, University of London is a constituent college of the University of London. The college has three faculties, 18 academic departments, and about 8,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students from over 130 different countries...
which is situated 18 km (11.2 mi) east of Camberley in Egham
Egham
Egham is a wealthy suburb in the Runnymede borough of Surrey, in the south-east of England. It is part of the London commuter belt and Greater London Urban Area, and about south-west of central London on the River Thames and near junction 13 of the M25 motorway.-Demographics:Egham town has a...
, with the University of Surrey
University of Surrey
The University of Surrey is a university located within the county town of Guildford, Surrey in the South East of England. It received its charter on 9 September 1966, and was previously situated near Battersea Park in south-west London. The institution was known as Battersea College of Technology...
(at Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
) and the University of Reading
University of Reading
The University of Reading is a university in the English town of Reading, Berkshire. The University was established in 1892 as University College, Reading and received its Royal Charter in 1926. It is based on several campuses in, and around, the town of Reading.The University has a long tradition...
both being 25 km (15.5 mi) to the southeast and northwest respectively.
Sport
Camberley has an active sporting scene, mainly based around clubs and sports venues such as The Arena, a leisure centre and pool facility located close to the town centre. Camberley and Farnborough Hockey Club plays men's and women's field hockey at Kings International College and draw many players from the region. Camberley Town football clubCamberley Town F.C.
Camberley Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club from the town of Camberley in Surrey. Founded in 1895 as St. Michael's, Camberley F.C., the club was renamed Camberley & Yorktown F.C. in 1901...
currently plays in the Premier division of the Combined Counties League
Combined Counties Football League
The Combined Counties Football League is a regional English football league currently comprising teams from southwestern Greater London, Surrey, small parts of Hampshire and Berkshire, and Guernsey...
. The home ground is at Krooner Park, Wilton Road. Camberley rugby football club plays in the London League division 3 South West. The home ground is at the Watchetts recreation ground, Park Road. Camberley Cricket Club 1st XI plays in the Surrey Championship Division 1. Its ground is in Upper Verran Road. Camberley Midweek Cricket League is an after work cricket league that has been running for over 18 years. Members include cricket teams from local companies, schools and government organisations from Camberley, Frimley
Frimley
Frimley is a small English town situated 2 miles south of Camberley, in the extreme west of Surrey, adjacent to the border with Hampshire. It is about 31 miles west south-west of Central London. It is part of the Borough of Surrey Heath...
and Farnborough
Farnborough, Hampshire
-History:Name changes: Ferneberga ; Farnburghe, Farenberg ; Farnborowe, Fremborough, Fameborough .Tower Hill, Cove: There is substantial evidence...
.
Camberley Lawn Tennis Club has five courts at Southcote Park on Portsmouth Road. Frimley Lawn Tennis Club offer social and competitive tennis. They play at the Watchetts recreation ground in Camberley. Mens, ladies and mixed teams play all year in the Aldershot and District LTA League. Camberley Chess Club plays at the Camberley Baptist Church Hall, Frimley Road, Camberley, GU15 3EN. They were 2007-8 Berkshire League champions. They also compete in several divisions of the Surrey Border League and are current holders of the Bell Trophy. Farnborough & Camberley Cycling Club was formed by an amalgamation of the renowned Camberley Wheelers cycling club and Farnborough Cycling Club in 1969. The Camberley Wheelers had a history that went back to the 1920s or 30s. A current (June 2011) member of the FCCC joined the Camberley Wheelers in 1935. Camberley Kart Club was one of the first kart clubs in the UK started in 196 and situated behind Blackbushe airport and car auctions. TS Diadem (Camberley Sea Cadets) was founded in 1955 and recently moved to new premises in Gilbert Road, opened by the Earl of Wessex in January 2011.
External links
- The Best Of Local Trade Directory
- Camberley On The Net – The OFFICIAL Camberley Guide
- Camberley Business Directory – A directory of Camberley based businesses.
- Surrey Heath Council – Camberley's Local Council
- Surrey Heath Museum – Situated in Camberley