Its name comes from Alder, meaning a wet and boggy place and it is dates back to an Anglo-Saxon settlement.
The Cambridge Military Hospital was built after the Crimean Ware and its design was greatly influenced by Florence Nightingale it was intended to remain a military hospital. It has now been closed and the local residents have a long way to travel to get hospital treatment.
The oldest building in Aldershot is the District Pay Office, built in the 17th Century, it was used as a workhouse and then taken over by the army in 1854.
There are several Military Museums in the area because of the army influence.
Around the time of the Crimean War the army moved into Aldershot. In 1851 the population was stated to be 875, ten years later it had grown to 16,000 of which 9,000 were military personnel.
In 1972 Aldershot was the scene of one of the worst mainland IRA attacks. Seven people were killed in an attack on 16th Parachute Brigade. Today a memorial stands on the site of the attack.
Not many army personnel remain in Aldershot and most of the barracks have been demolished. Those built in the l960’s are mostly the only ones still in use.
During the l950’s and l960’s Aldershot was a thriving town but during the 1990’s the town centre rental income dropped by 20%. The town became dismal and depressing with shops boarded up and yobs on street corners and by night it was inundated by gangs of youths and squaddies. In 2005 many shops closed and the remainder have a drab worn out look to them.
Wellington Statue, mounted on his favourite horse, Copenhagen, situated on Round Hill is 30ft high and weights 40 tons. It took thirty men and over three years to finish and was made of recycled Bronze from cannons captured at the Battle of Waterloo. In 1846 it was erected in Hyde Park Corner but was moved to Constitution Hill in 1883 and handed over to the Commander of the Aldershot Garrison in l885.
Aldershot has a mainline station and a bus station both situated off Station Road, and has rail links to Waterloo, Guildford and Ascot.
There are plenty of properties to rent in and around Aldershot and letting is popular as prices are much less than surrounding areas with average prices for studio apartments £480 per month, a l bed flat at £560 per month a 2 bed flat would be £710 and 2 and 3 bed houses between £730 and £900 per month.
Aldershot’s Lido hosted the modern pentathlon for the 1948 London Olympics. Today there is a 25m indoor pool and the outdoor lido has a large children’s area, slides and a central fountain.
Princes Hall, the town’s theatre holds eighty professional shows a year and also a three week pantomime.
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