Historic Interest Group Updates

On Saturday 18 October 17 people joined me on a walking tour around the oldest part of Farnborough.

The tour commenced at St Peter’s Parish Church and followed an ancient footpath through to Farnborough Street.  Along the route we looked at ancient trees, crossed fields divided by centuries old hedgerows, viewed St Michael’s Abbey and its farmlands, crossed the railway and walked along the bottom of the beautiful grounds of Farnborough Hill.  We discussed the historic buildings in the old village and were joined by the occupant of one of the oldest houses.  The tour was completed by returning up Highgate Lane to Farnborough Road (the old turnpike road), on towards the Clockhouse and back up to the Church.   A couple of hours enjoyably spent exploring some of the local history. 

We hope to organise future walks to cover different parts of the town.

Jo Gosney
Historic Group Leader

The Farnborough Society, through its Historic Interest Group, is striving to create a greater awareness and sense of pride in our Town’s heritage. 

Our first priority was to compile a map which showed the location of any building or site of historic interest in Farnborough, Cove or the area of North Camp lying within the old municipal boundary of Farnborough. Using the list of Hampshire Treasures published by the County Council as a basis, a Google map was created and when complete, will be able to be accessed via this website.

The Hampshire Treasures survey was begun in 1967 but it was not completed until the 1980’s when the results were published. Consequently, much of the information is out of date so our map will attempt to provide an up to date record which will also reflect the modern history of the area, e.g. the Concept 2000 building near the Clockhouse which was constructed in the mid 1980’s and has now been demolished, but its existence should not go unrecorded.

Our group, made up of enthusiasts with local knowledge and expertise, is still working on the map but would welcome any suggestions about possible inclusions. Once complete, it will be continually monitored and updated as appropriate.   Photographs of some historic buildings in Farnborough can be found at www.historicfarnborough.co.uk or in the Hampshire County Council’s archive site at http://www3.hants.gov.uk/archives.

Unfortunately, a Hampshire Treasure does not necessarily mean that it is protected from demolition, whereas a building that is Grade listed under the auspices of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport does have some protection. The Farnborough Society, through the Historic Interest Group, will endeavour to keep a watchful eye on any matters relating to the heritage of the town and will bring any items of concern to the attention of the appropriate authorities. 

One building which has been in the spotlight over the past few years, is the chapel in the Victoria Road Cemetery which is owned by the Council. Although originally under the threat of demolition, it has been given a reprieve following representations from various people.  The Historic Interest Group has researched one further avenue and discovered that in the mid 1850’s, when cemeteries such as this one were constructed, they were intended to be public open spaces affording a tranquil setting for the graves therein.  Given that it is important to utilise redundant buildings for alternative purposes, we have put forward the idea that perhaps the chapel could be upgraded for use as a community building. The cemetery itself could be designated a public open space of tranquillity, where birds and insect wildlife could thrive among its trees and shrubs. It is possible that grants may be available to offset costs, which has been the barrier to many of the ideas previously proposed.  We await the Council’s response and will keep people updated.

The historical use and occupancy of buildings and sites is as important as their structure. A number of aviation and scientific personalities are already commemorated by house or road names, but more research is required to find other notable people who have lived or worked here. Where appropriate we feel that perhaps commemorative plaques could be erected. Once again, contributions and suggestions would be welcome.

History can be interesting and exciting when brought to life. It is a story that never ends and should not be buried beneath the foundations of new buildings but should be a strong base upon which to make future plans. 

Why not join us and help us to achieve our goals.

To become involved with the Historic Interest Working Group please email info@thefarnboroughsociety.org.uk