Aldershot is a British army garrison town located in Hampshire, 35 miles south west of London. Since 1854 Aldershot has been a very important base for the army with many barracks in the town and within the adjacent heath lands.
Queen Victoria often visited Aldershot and in her jubilee year of 1887 60,000 troops lined up from the Basingstoke canal in Aldershot to Caesars camp, a distance of over two miles. The event was attended by the great and good from both Europe and the British Empire. This was the event that led to the establishment of the annual military tattoo in Aldershot which was performed by soldiers and included bands playing and displays of various aspects of a soldiers work and leisure activities. A Royal Pavilion in the town was erected for the use of Queen Victoria; however the site has now been redeveloped and houses the European headquarters of a large international company.
Two very different monuments to have been donated to the town, or to be more accurate the army, and these are the Aldershot observatory and the statue of the first Duke of Wellington. The observatory, which stands on Queens Avenue, was a gift from the aviation pioneer Patrick Alexander in 1906 who offered it in the first place to the city of Bath who refused the offer due to the ongoing costs of maintenance. The observatory has been used for military and non-military purposes over the years and has only recently been refurbished by local amateur astronomers. However, the land surrounding the observatory is now earmarked for housing development so its future is in doubt even though it is a grade II listed building. The statue of the first Duke of Wellington astride his horse, Copenhagen can be found on Round Hill behind the Royal Garrison Church. The statue, which is made from bronze recycled from cannons captured at the battle of Waterloo, was originally sited at Hyde Park corner in London. However, it was disliked by Queen Victoria who wanted it removed because it spoilt her view from Buckingham Palace. However, in order not to upset the Duke, it was not moved until after his death in 1885.
Shopping in the town is limited and many of the shops in the town centre have been replaced by a pedestrian only shopping mall named the Wellington Centre. This has left many vacant properties in other parts of the town centre giving some areas a run-down look. The town council are aware of the situation and are currently looking at ways to revitalise the town.
The main theatre is the Princes Hall which seats 600 people and plays host to numerous professional shows throughout the year including a pantomime at Christmas time. Sporting facilities include a Tennis centre, Bowling, two swimming pools, a sports centre, a cricket club and a Dry Ski centre. The Aldershot Town football team compete in the Nationwide Conference league.
The town is served by a regular mainline train service connecting it with London, Waterloo as well as Ascot, Alton, and Guildford. There is also a bus service operating throughout the town.