Badshot Lea
| Badshot Lea | |
| Surrey | |
|---|---|
_(1).JPG) St Georges church, Badshot Lea | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SU865489 |
| Location: | 51°13’48"N, -0°45’36"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 1,509 (2011) |
| Post town: | Farnham |
| Postcode: | GU9 |
| Dialling code: | 01252 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Waverley |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
South West Surrey |
Badshot Lea is a small village in the north-west of Surrey, close to Aldershot, and part of the Blackwater Valley or Aldershot Urban Area, the thirtieth largest conurbation in the United Kingdom. The village has access in either direction to the A31 and A331 roads. The village is Badshot Lea's boundaries are four bridges—three western railway bridges and Pea Bridge over the uppermost part of the River Blackwater: these inspired a logo for the village and the football team who play in the larger neighbouring village of Ash. The Blackwater separates Badshot Lea from Aldershot to the north; the eastern and western boundaries are short and the southern boundary is the A331.
History
Tusks of ancient mammoths have been found here,[1][2] occasionally excavated by Surrey Archaeological Society.
The village has remains in, or close to, the village from the Mesolithic, Neolithic, Iron Age and Roman periods, as well as morevisible remains of the Middle Ages. In 1967 the Badshot Lea Village school master and amateur archaeologist William (Billy) Rankine discovered the remains of Badshot Lea Long Barrow, a Neolithic long barrow in the village. Many finds are on display at Guildford Museum. Little remains of the original mound due to quarrying and the excavation of the Railway cutting in the 1800s.[3] The burial mound was sited close to an alleged ancient trackway known as the Harrow Way.[4] The village used to be surrounded by thriving farms, with a particular focus on hop growing; these played such an important role in the economic development of the village that hops feature in the village logo.
The eastern end of the village has suffered terrible flooding. This led to the road near the Aldershot boundary being nicknamed the 'docks'.[5]
Badshot Lea is close to the GHQ Line pill box fortifications built during Second World War to defend London in the event of a German invasion of Britain. An example can still be found behind the rifle range.
Parish church
The parish church, St George, is a relatively modern edifice, built of traditional stonemasonry. The Foundation Stone was laid on 23 August 1902 by the Lord Lieutenant of Surrey, Viscount Middleton. The stone can still be seen today, at the west end of the church. A year later the church was completed and was consecrated on 24 October 1903 by the Bishop of Winchester.
Following the demolition of the Old Parsonage, and construction of a new Vicarage in 1999, the funds released were used for the further development of the church. The Southern aisle of the church was not completed with the rest of the building. However, in 1999 a new Church Room was added, and opened on 10 October 1999 by Rt. Rev. John Gladwin, Bishop of Guildford. This room has greatly extended the activities undertaken by the church.
The church is now part of the Church of England Parish of Badshot Lea and Hale.
About the village
The village's entire eastern tract and formerly its southern borders have had sand and gravel extraction quarries. Older quarries have been converted to lakes providing local beauty spots and fishing lakes, newer quarries in the area have been typically backfilled with refuse and converted to open fields, woods or agricultural use.
The village hall is named "the Kiln". It was built in 1886.[6]
The village has an infant school, a nursery school, T.S. Swiftsure sea cadets centre, St Georges Church and hall,[7] a cemetery, a pond dipping stage, an animal sanctuary, a working men's club and two pubs/inns, The Cricketers and The Crown.
There is a large garden centre with an aquatic department and cafe. Formally known as 'Badshot Lea Garden Centre'. Its extensive pets and aquatics centre was opened in 1999 by Charlie Dimmock.[8]
Young people in the village in full-time education can apply for grants from the Bishop Sumner Educational Foundation.[9]
Sports and leisure
- Football: Badshot Lea F.C.
Sports facilites about the village include a pavilion for football and cricket, two tennis courts, a cricket club, cricket nets, indoor and outdoor shooting ranges, a riding school, an equestrian centre,[10] a dog agility club, two fishing ponds, a model car club with outdoor racing track, four geocaches,[11] and a children's playground.
An extensive leisure centre and Farnham RFU club are outside of the village border, close to Weybourne.
The village has green buffers to all sides but the north, intersected by paths. The north has a buffer which is pond named the King's Pond, separating it from Aldershot in a salient part of Hampshire.
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Badshot Lea) |
References
- ↑ "Mammoth Tusk". 9 July 2005. https://www.flickr.com/photos/surreyarchaeology/2326343719/.
- ↑ "Archived copy". http://surrey.greatbritishlife.co.uk/community/blogs/detail/farnhams-inhabitants-have-a-hairy-history/id/3916/.
- ↑ "Between Four Bridges – a history of Badshot Lea," , Maurice Hewins
- ↑ Surrey Archaeological Society
- ↑ "Towns and Villages Around Farnham | Badshot Lea". http://www.visitoruk.com/historydetail.php?id=30992&cid=592&f=farnham.
- ↑ BBC History website Picture of village hall in black and white photograph
- ↑ St George's Church, Badshot Lea
- ↑ "Archived copy". http://www.gethampshire.co.uk/news/s/37568_badshot_lea_simply_the_best__by_alan_franklin.
- ↑ @Bishop Sumner Educational Foundation Opencharities.org
- ↑ "Welcome to your new website". http://www.badshotleaequestrian.co.uk/.
- ↑ "Geocaching - the Official Global GPS Cache Hunt Site". http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=c2ec4ce4-7a46-454a-8aa5-ec1ba49a4341.