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.
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.
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.