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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 (magazine)|Punch]]''. |
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 (magazine)|Punch]]''. |
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[[Queen Victoria]] claimed that the statue ruined the view of the skyline from [[Buckingham Palace]], and she privately proposed that the statue be moved. The Duke, who had only sat for the sculptor on two or three occasions, suddenly became very attached to the statue and would not consider its removal from its arch. It was secretly agreed in Royal circles that the statue would not be removed during the Duke's lifetime, so as not to offend him. |
[[Queen Victoria]] claimed that the statue ruined the view of the skyline from [[Buckingham Palace]], and she privately proposed that the statue be moved. The Duke, who had only sat for the sculptor on two or three occasions, suddenly became very attached to the statue and would not consider its removal from its arch. It was secretly agreed in Royal circles that the statue would not be removed during the Duke's lifetime, so as not to offend him.... |
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The above statment is unclarified and possibly false. It is only word of mouth at best. The following text is from http://www3.hants.gov.uk An offical government website that clearly states it was moved due to congestion at its original site and by request from the prince of wales. |
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"By the time of Wellington's death in 1852 the public had become used to the sight of the statue and in deference to the great Duke's memory no further attempt was made to have it moved for the next thirty years. But by 1882 traffic congestion around Hyde Park Corner had become so intense that a proposal was made to demolish the Arch to make way for road widening. But public sentiment was opposed to such destruction and in January 1883 the Prince of Wales wrote to the Prime Minister, Gladstone, recommending the removal of the Arch to a new position at the top of Constitution Hill. "As regard the old colossal statue of the Duke", he wrote, "I would suggest that it should not be broken up but removed to Aldershot where it will be highly valued by the Army". |
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When the statue was taken down and the Arch moved to its new position, the statue was left abandoned in a corner of Green Park for another year while various possible sites were considered including Chelsea Hospital, Horse Guards, Portsmouth, Wellington College and St James's Park. These were all rejected and at last a resolution of both Houses of Parliament gave permission for it to be moved to Aldershot. |
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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 of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]], [[William Gladstone|Gladstone]], "''As regards 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''". {{Fact|date=February 2007}} |
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 of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]], [[William Gladstone|Gladstone]], "''As regards 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''". {{Fact|date=February 2007}} |
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In 1885, the Prince of Wales handed over the monument to Lieutenant General Anderson, the commander of the Aldershot garrison. |
In 1885, the Prince of Wales handed over the monument to Lieutenant General Anderson, the commander of the Aldershot garrison." |
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== Transport and communications == |
== Transport and communications == |
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Revision as of 15:41, 21 December 2007
| Aldershot | |
|---|---|
| Population | Expression error: "33,840[1]" must be numeric |
| OS grid reference | SU865505 |
| • London | 42.4 miles |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ALDERSHOT |
| Postcode district | GU11, GU12 |
| Dialling code | 01252 |
| Police | Hampshire and Isle of Wight |
| Fire | Hampshire and Isle of Wight |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| UK Parliament | |
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. Today, Aldershot is known as the "Home of the British Army".
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 VIPs from all over Europe and the British Empire attended the event. The Aldershot Military Tattoo has since established itself as an international event.
A substantial rebuilding of the barracks was carried out between 1961 and 1969 by Building Design Partnership. The town was designated an "Experimental Site" by the government and various new building technologies were employed with mixed success.[2]
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.[citation needed]
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 Derry that came to be known as Bloody Sunday.[3] 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, weighs 40 tons and is intricately detailed including musculature and veins. 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.
Queen Victoria claimed that the statue ruined the view of the skyline from Buckingham Palace, and she privately proposed that the statue be moved. The Duke, who had only sat for the sculptor on two or three occasions, suddenly became very attached to the statue and would not consider its removal from its arch. It was secretly agreed in Royal circles that the statue would not be removed during the Duke's lifetime, so as not to offend him....
The above statment is unclarified and possibly false. It is only word of mouth at best. The following text is from http://www3.hants.gov.uk An offical government website that clearly states it was moved due to congestion at its original site and by request from the prince of wales.
"By the time of Wellington's death in 1852 the public had become used to the sight of the statue and in deference to the great Duke's memory no further attempt was made to have it moved for the next thirty years. But by 1882 traffic congestion around Hyde Park Corner had become so intense that a proposal was made to demolish the Arch to make way for road widening. But public sentiment was opposed to such destruction and in January 1883 the Prince of Wales wrote to the Prime Minister, Gladstone, recommending the removal of the Arch to a new position at the top of Constitution Hill. "As regard the old colossal statue of the Duke", he wrote, "I would suggest that it should not be broken up but removed to Aldershot where it will be highly valued by the Army".
When the statue was taken down and the Arch moved to its new position, the statue was left abandoned in a corner of Green Park for another year while various possible sites were considered including Chelsea Hospital, Horse Guards, Portsmouth, Wellington College and St James's Park. These were all rejected and at last a resolution of both Houses of Parliament gave permission for it to be moved to Aldershot.
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 regards 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". [citation needed]
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 offers services to London Waterloo (2tph), Alton (2tph), Guildford (2tph) and Ascot (2tph).
Shopping in Aldershot
Aldershot was the principal retail centre in the Blackwater Valley, however, other centres have grown to compete for customers. Union Street and Wellington Street were pedestrianised in the 1970s when the Wellington Centre, a covered shopping centre, was built. In the 1990s, an extension of the Wellington Centre, The Galleries, provided extra shops, although nearly all are now closed. [citation needed] Local traders have claimed that this centre and its associated development are threatening the remaining independent shops operating in Aldershot. [citation needed] A local councillor has claimed "we have too many empty shops in the town", and it is a frequent complaint of local residents that the town has declined since the 1960s.[citation needed] In 2003, a health check of the town centre was published, the report concluded that "Aldershot is experiencing promising signs of revitalisation, particularly in the shopping core"[4] Although, in 2005, Rushmoor Borough Council documented the percentage of vacancies at 10%, 8% and 7% respectively for Union Street, the Wellington Centre and Wellington street.[5]
Education
- Ash Manor Secondary School
- The Connaught School
- St. Joseph's Roman Catholic School
- St Michael's Infant School
- St Michael's Junior School
Leisure and recreation
The main theatre in Aldershot is the Princes Hall and is located on Princes Way.[6] The Princes Hall plays host to over 80 professional shows per year as well as a 3 week pantomime. Built in the 1970s and remodelled during 1982 the current seating capacity is 600.
The West End Centre is Aldershot's arts centre which is located on Queens Road.
Music
Vox (previously The Rhythm Station, Cheeks),[citation needed] influenced the rapid growth of the hardcore scene from 1992 to 1995. Weekly events included Fusion (Hectic Records), Tazmania, Slammin' Vinyl and Future World. The club also groomed local talents such as Sharky, DJ Mystery, DJ Unknown, Vinyl Groover, DJ NS, Hixxy, MC Freestyle, MC Young, MC Smiley.
The location of Aldershot between Southampton and London meant the club became a mecca for Hardcore and it was regularly sold out during this time. At the height of the clubs popularity a teenagers death from a suspected ovedose of ecstacy[7] was the catalyst that saw dance music leaving the club and had a negative impact on the hardcore dance scene in the Aldershot area.
Sport
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).
The local professional football team is Aldershot Town who compete in the Blue Square Premier. Before 1992 the local club was Aldershot, which folded on 25 March 1992, when members of the Football League Fourth Division. The current club was formed shortly afterwards and achieved four promotions in its first 11 seasons to achieve its current standing that leaves it just one division below the old club's final standing.
Aldershot Cricket Club is also based in the town. There is also a rugby union club called Aldershot & Fleet RUFC (A&F) for both juniors and seniors[8]
Speedway racing has been staged in Aldershot. Before the war, circa 1929 a track operated at a stadium in Boxall Lane. The records of action at this venue are very sketchy. Speedway returned to Aldershot in 1950 at the local greyhound stadium. The Shots featured in the lower echelons of the sport up to 1960.
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 25 m indoor pool that allows all year round swimming.
In 1948 the pool hosted the modern pentathlon for the London Olympics.
Media
The local press are the Aldershot Mail, the Aldershot News, the Aldershot Courier, and the Surrey-Hants Star.[9] Aldershot is the home of Ashgate Publishing Ltd., a prominent publishing house for books on musicology.
Politics
Aldershot is divided into the following wards:[10][11]
- 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.
The town is represented in parliament through the Aldershot constituency. The current MP is Gerald Howarth (Conservative), with a majority of 5,334 (May 2005). Of the 41 councillors on Rushmoor Borough Council, 15 represent the five wards that comprise Aldershot. Of these councillors, eight are Conservative, five represent Labour, one represents the Liberal Democrats and there is one Independent.
Geography
The nearby villages of Ash and Ash Vale are actually in Surrey, with both being part of Guildford Borough Council but they can have Aldershot as their post-town. This used to cause debates locally as some residents didn't want to put Hampshire as their address. The problem was solved when Royal Mail introduced postcodes meaning county names were no longer used in UK postal addresses.
The town is generally between 70 m and 100 m above sea level.
The Beatles in Aldershot
Sam Leach, their then agent, and wanting to become their manager, attempted to introduce The Beatles to London agents by promoting shows at The Palais Ballroom, on the corner of Perowne Street and Queens Road, in Aldershot, on December 9th 1961. The show was not advertised properly and, as a result, only 18 people attended. The local newspaper, The Aldershot News, failed to publish Sam Leach's advertisement for the show. However, the band and friends had their own fun after the show, including a mock funeral for Paul McCartney. The failure at Aldershot became part of Beatles folklore [1] [2]. Weeks after this Brian Epstein became the group's manager.
Famous people from Aldershot
In literature
Rudyard Kipling referenced Aldershot in his poem "Gunga Din".
You may talk o’ gin and beer
When you’re quartered safe out ’ere,
An’ you’re sent to penny-fights an’ Aldershot it;
But when it comes to slaughter
You will do your work on water,
An’ you’ll lick the bloomin’ boots of ’im that’s got it.
Sir John Betjeman also mentions Aldershot in the poem "A Subaltern's Love Song"[3]
Miss J. Hunter Dunn, Miss J. Hunter Dunn,
Furnish'd and burnish'd by Aldershot sun,
What strenuous singles we played after tea,
We in the tournament - you against me!
Love-thirty, love-forty, oh! weakness of joy,
The speed of a swallow, the grace of a boy,
With carefullest carelessness, how gaily you won,
I am weak from your loveliness, Joan Hunter Dunn.
Aldershot Military Town
Aldershot Military Town is the area between Aldershot and the North Camp area of Farnborough which is the location for all the military buildings, including married quarters, barracks, army playing fields and other sporting facilities, etc., mostly centred around Queen's Avenue. The military town includes the Aldershot Observatory and the Aldershot Military Cemetery, The Cambridge Military Hospital, Louise Margaret Maternity Hospital, the Royal Garrison Church and other garrison churches, as well as barracks for The Royal Military Police, the Army Catering Corps, the Royal Corps of Transport, etc. A statue of the first Duke of Wellington mounted on his horse, Copenhagen, is situated on Round Hill behind the Royal Garrison Church.
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert showed a keen interest in the establishment and development of Aldershot as a garrison town in the 1850s, at the time of the Crimean War, having a wooden Royal Pavilion built there which they would often stay in when attending reviews of the army. In 1860 Albert established and endowed The Prince Consort's Library there, which still exists today.
Aldershot Military Town is separate to the town of Aldershot and comes under its own military jurisdiction. It was the homebase for The Parachute Regiment from its formation in 1940 until it moved to Colchester Garrison in 2003. Many famous people have been associated with the Military Town, including Charlie Chaplin who made his first stage appearance in The Canteen theatre aged 5 in 1894, Winston Churchill, who was based here in the 19th century, and just about every famous soldier of the 19th and 20th centuries.
The area also houses various military and regimental museums, including the Aldershot Military Museum, housed in a red-brick Victorian barracks, [4] and The Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces Museum. [5]
See also
References
- ^ Population figures from the 2001 census for each of ward in Aldershot.
- ^ BDP (1963), The Rebuilding of Aldershot, Preston: BDP.
- ^ On this day in history BBC article on Aldershot bombing
- ^ "Town Centre Health Checks Cttee report PLN01/63" (pdf). Rushmoor Borough Council. 2003. Retrieved 2006-09-04.
- ^ "Technical Appendix: Percentage of Vacancies and Planning Applications affecting the town centre". Rushmoor Borough Council. 2005. Retrieved 2006-09-04.
- ^ Princes Hall official web site
- ^ Ecstasy may have caused teenager's nightclub death, Independent, The (London), Jan 29, 1996
- ^ Club
- ^ http://www.shstar.co.uk/ Surrey-Hants Star] official web site
- ^ Map for the wards of Aldershot
- ^ Aldershot wards with resepct to the local election of May 2006