Farnborough is a town in northeast
Hampshire
Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...
, England, part of the borough of
Rushmoor
Rushmoor is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district and borough in Hampshire, England. It covers the towns of Aldershot and Farnborough, Hampshire, Farnborough as well as Cove and North Camp.
It was formed on 1 April 1974 by the ...
and the
Farnborough/Aldershot Built-up Area
Farnborough/Aldershot built-up area and Aldershot Urban Area are names used by the ONS to refer to a conurbation spanning the borders of Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire in England. The ONS found a population of 252,937 in 2011 (up 4%, rounded, fro ...
. Farnborough was founded in
Saxon times and is mentioned in the
Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
of 1086. The name is formed from ''Ferneberga'' which means "fern hill". According to the UK-wide 2011 Census, the population of Farnborough is 57,486.
The town is probably best known for its association with aviation, with the
Farnborough Airshow
The Farnborough Airshow, officially the Farnborough International Airshow, is a trade exhibition for the aerospace and defence industries, where civilian and military aircraft are demonstrated to potential customers and investors. Since its fir ...
,
Farnborough Airport
Farnborough Airport (previously called: TAG Farnborough Airport, RAE Farnborough, ICAO Code EGLF) is an operational business/executive general aviation airport in Farnborough, Rushmoor, Hampshire, England. The airport covers about 8% of Rush ...
,
Royal Aircraft Establishment
The Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) was a British research establishment, known by several different names during its history, that eventually came under the aegis of the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom), UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), bef ...
, and the
Air Accidents Investigation Branch
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) investigates civil aircraft accidents and serious incidents within the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and crown dependencies. It is also the Space Accident Investigation Authority (SAIA) ...
.
History
Farnborough is mentioned in the Domesday Book as part of the settlement of
Crondall
Crondall () is a village and large civil parish in the north east of Hampshire in England, in the Crondall Hundred (division), Hundred surveyed in the Domesday Book of 1086. The village is on the gentle slopes of the low western end of the North ...
. Over the centuries, it was known as ''Ferneberga'' (11th century); ''Farnburghe'', ''Farenberg'' (13th century); ''Farnborowe'', ''Fremborough'', and ''Farneborough'' (16th century).
Tower Hill
Tower Hill, Cove: There is substantial evidence
that many years ago a large accumulation of
Sarsen
Sarsen stones are silicified sandstone blocks found in quantity in Southern England on Salisbury Plain and the Marlborough Downs in Wiltshire; in Kent; and in smaller quantities in Berkshire, Essex, Oxfordshire, Dorset, and Hampshire.
Geology ...
stones existed upon what later came to be known as ''Tower Hill''.
Farnborough Hill school
The town is the home of
St. Michael's Abbey. The Imperial
Crypt
A crypt (from Latin ''crypta'' "vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics.
Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a chur ...
there is the resting place of
Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...
(1808–1873),
Emperor of the French
Emperor of the French ( French: ''Empereur des Français'') was the title of the monarch and supreme ruler of the First and the Second French Empires.
Details
A title and office used by the House of Bonaparte starting when Napoleon was procl ...
, and his wife,
Eugénie de Montijo
''Doña'' María Eugenia Ignacia Agustina de Palafox y Kirkpatrick, 19th Countess of Teba, 16th Marchioness of Ardales (5 May 1826 – 11 July 1920), known as Eugénie de Montijo (), was Empress of the French from her marriage to Emperor Napo ...
, (1826–1920) and their son,
Napoléon, Prince Imperial. The Abbey was the home of the
Catholic National Library
The Catholic National Library (formerly the Catholic Central Library) is a large Roman Catholic library previously located at St Michael's Abbey in Farnborough, Hampshire, founded in 1912. In 2015 it was relocated to Durham University Library
...
from 2007 until it was relocated to
Durham University Library
The Durham University Library is the centrally administered library of Durham University in England. It was founded in January 1833 at Palace Green by a 160 volume donation by the then Bishop of Durham, William Van Mildert, and now holds over ...
in 2015.
River Blackwater
The
River Blackwater on the Hampshire/Surrey border was the location of the first international prize fight between
Tom Sayers
Tom Sayers (15 or 25 May 18268 November 1865) was an English Bare-knuckle boxing, bare-knuckle prize fighter. There were no formal weight divisions at the time, and although Sayers was only five feet eight inches tall and never weighed much mo ...
and
John C. Heenan
John Camel Heenan, also known as the Benicia Boy (2 May 1834 – 28 October 1873) was an American Bare-knuckle boxing, bare-knuckle prize fighter. Though highly regarded, he had only three formal fights in his career, losing two and drawing one. ...
, which took place near the location of the Ship Inn pub.
Samuel Cody
Closely associated with
Farnborough Airfield
Farnborough Airport (previously called: TAG Farnborough Airport, RAE Farnborough, ICAO Code EGLF) is an operational business/executive general aviation airport in Farnborough, Rushmoor, Hampshire, England. The airport covers about 8% of Rush ...
, situated between Farnborough and
Fleet
Fleet may refer to:
Vehicles
*Fishing fleet
*Naval fleet
*Fleet vehicles, a pool of motor vehicles
*Fleet Aircraft, the aircraft manufacturing company
Places
Canada
* Fleet, Alberta, Canada, a hamlet
England
* The Fleet Lagoon, at Chesil Beach ...
, is
Samuel Franklin Cody
Samuel Franklin Cowdery (later known as Samuel Franklin Cody; 6 March 1867 – 7 August 1913, born Davenport, Iowa, USA)) was a Wild West showman and early pioneer of manned flight. He is most famous for his work on the large kites known ...
. Cody, or Colonel Sam Cody as he was known, was one of the early pioneers of aviation. He died when he crashed his plane on Ball Hill, a site which is now within
Qinetiq's Technology Park. A statue was unveiled on the 100th anniversary of his death, 7 August 2013. The statue is sited outside the FAST museum, home of the
Farnborough Air Sciences Trust
The Farnborough Air Sciences Trust (FAST) museum holds a collection of aircraft (actual and model), satellites, simulators, wind tunnel and Royal Aircraft Establishment-related material. It is based in Farnborough, Hampshire immediately adjace ...
, surrounded by commemorative paving paid for by supporters.
RAE
![Farnborough Wind Tunnel Q121 Main Fan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Farnborough_Wind_Tunnel_Q121_Main_Fan.jpg)
Farnborough Airfield is the site of the historic
Royal Aircraft Establishment
The Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) was a British research establishment, known by several different names during its history, that eventually came under the aegis of the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom), UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), bef ...
(RAE). Part of the old RAE, Farnborough's historic
wind tunnel
Wind tunnels are large tubes with air blowing through them which are used to replicate the interaction between air and an object flying through the air or moving along the ground. Researchers use wind tunnels to learn more about how an aircraft ...
s are now
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
s, two in particular being preserved, the first built in 1917 and the other, much larger, in 1935. The latter was used extensively for research into
Concorde
The Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde () is a retired Franco-British supersonic airliner jointly developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale) and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC).
Studies started in 1954, and France an ...
's aerodynamics, and later that of
Formula 1
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
cars, until its closure in the early 1990s. The tunnels were open to the public during June and July 2014 until the end of the Farnborough International Airshow.
Sir
Frank Whittle
Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, (1 June 1907 – 8 August 1996) was an English engineer, inventor and Royal Air Force (RAF) air officer. He is credited with inventing the turbojet engine. A patent was submitted by Maxime Guillaume in 1921 for ...
conducted much of his research into jet aircraft at the RAE.
A replica
Gloster E.28/39 (based on his prototype) is sited on a
roundabout
A roundabout is a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The New Shorter Oxford En ...
along Ively Road in tribute to its inventor.
The Tumble Down Dick
![The Tumbledown Dick In Farnborough](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/The_Tumbledown_Dick_In_Farnborough.jpg)
An inn,
The Tumble Down Dick Pub has been present on the
A325
A3, A03 or A.III may refer to:
* A3 paper, a paper size defined by ISO 216
Biology
* A3 regulatory sequence, a sequence for the insulin gene
* Adenosine A3 receptor, a human gene
* Annexin A3, a human gene
* ATC code A03 ''Drugs for functi ...
Farnborough Road since the 17th century. It was reputedly connected to
Richard Cromwell
Richard Cromwell (4 October 162612 July 1712) was an English statesman who was the second and last Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland and son of the first Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell.
On his father's death ...
, and was the central focus of the town before its 19th-century refocus toward North Camp and the town centre proper's 20th-century development. The pub closed in 2008 and was designated an "Asset of Community Value" in 2013 after local protest over a request for planning permission by
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...
. The ACV status was later rescinded after an appeal by the site's owners. It was converted to a McDonald's restaurant and the building reopened with a new roof in October 2014 after being allowed to lie derelict for six years. During the renovation, an early advertisement for the
H & G Simonds Brewery in Reading was discovered and is now on display on the side of the building.
Churches
St Peter's parish church dates back to 1180, as part of the manor of
Crondall
Crondall () is a village and large civil parish in the north east of Hampshire in England, in the Crondall Hundred (division), Hundred surveyed in the Domesday Book of 1086. The village is on the gentle slopes of the low western end of the North ...
. It has a burial vault built by Henry Wilmot, Lord of the Manor from 1768. As Farnborough developed in the Victorian era, the church was extended to accommodate a growing congregation: a new chancel was built in 1886 and in 1900-01 north and south transepts and a south aisle were added.
St Mark's Anglican Church, Alexandra Road, was built in 1881.
Transport
Farnborough is near junctions 4 and 4a of the
M3 motorway. The
A325
A3, A03 or A.III may refer to:
* A3 paper, a paper size defined by ISO 216
Biology
* A3 regulatory sequence, a sequence for the insulin gene
* Adenosine A3 receptor, a human gene
* Annexin A3, a human gene
* ATC code A03 ''Drugs for functi ...
enters the town from
Frimley
Frimley is a town in the Borough of Surrey Heath in Surrey, England, approximately southwest of central London. The town is of Saxon origin, although it is not listed in Domesday Book of 1086.
Train services to Frimley (on the line between ...
to the north, and continues into
Aldershot
Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alders ...
to the south. The A331 runs north to south along the east side of the town.
Farnborough is served by three railway stations, the busiest of which is
Farnborough (Main) railway station
Farnborough (Main) railway station is on the South West Main Line and serves the town of Farnborough in Hampshire, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by South Western Railway. It is one of three stations in the t ...
on the
South West Main Line
The South West Main Line (SWML) is a 143-mile (230 km) major railway line between Waterloo station in central London and Weymouth on the south coast of England. A predominantly passenger line, it serves many commuter areas including south we ...
from
London Waterloo
Waterloo station (), also known as London Waterloo, is a central London terminus on the National Rail network in the United Kingdom, in the Waterloo area of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is connected to a London Underground station of ...
to
Basingstoke
Basingstoke ( ) is the largest town in the county of Hampshire. It is situated in south-central England and lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon, at the far western edge of The North Downs. It is located north-east of Southa ...
and beyond.
Farnborough North railway station
Farnborough North railway station is a railway station in the town of Farnborough in Hampshire, England. The station is managed by Great Western Railway, who operate services on the North Downs Line from Reading to Guildford, Redhill and G ...
and
North Camp railway station
North Camp railway station is situated in the civil parish of Ash in Surrey, England. It takes its name from the nearby North Camp area of Farnborough, Hampshire.
The station is managed by Great Western Railway, who provide services on ...
are both on the
North Downs Line
The North Downs Line is a passenger-train line connecting Reading, on the Great Western Main Line, to Redhill and , along the Brighton Main Line, linking many centres of population in that part of the North Downs which it traverses en route.
...
between
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
and
Gatwick
Gatwick Airport (), also known as London Gatwick , is a major international airport near Crawley, West Sussex, England, south of Central London. In 2021, Gatwick was the third-busiest airport by total passenger traffic in the UK, after H ...
.
North Camp station is a short distance over the county border, in the
Surrey
Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
village of
Ash Vale
Ash Vale is a village in the borough of Guildford in Surrey, England and the larger, northern settlement of the civil parish of Ash. It is 7 miles (11 km) from Guildford but is closer to the Hampshire towns of Aldershot and Farnborough, the ...
.
Since 2003
Farnborough Airport
Farnborough Airport (previously called: TAG Farnborough Airport, RAE Farnborough, ICAO Code EGLF) is an operational business/executive general aviation airport in Farnborough, Rushmoor, Hampshire, England. The airport covers about 8% of Rush ...
has been a business airport operated by
TAG Aviation
TAG Group (Holdings) S.A. is a private holding company based in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. The name 'TAG' is an acronym of Techniques d'Avant Garde. The company generates revenue through its various subsidiaries that offer products and services ...
. The
Farnborough International Airshow
The Farnborough Airshow, officially the Farnborough International Airshow, is a trade exhibition for the aerospace and defence industries, where civilian and military aircraft are demonstrated to potential customers and investors. Since its fir ...
takes place at the airport on even numbered years.
Governance
Borough
Farnborough is part of the Borough of Rushmoor, along with Aldershot.
It contains eight wards, each with three elected borough councillors. Until 2011, there were nine wards, but following the Electoral boundary reviews, Grange and Mayfield wards were merged to create Cherrywood ward. The full list of wards and their councillors is as follows:
Cove & Southwood:
Sue Carter (
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
),
Steve Masterson (Conservative),
Martin Tennant (Conservative)
Cherrywood:
Nem Thapa (Conservative),
Christine Guinness (
Labour
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the labour ...
),
Ashley Halstead (Labour)
Empress:
Marina Munro (Conservative),
Adrian Newell (Conservative),
Mike Smith (Conservative)
Fernhill:
John Marsh (Conservative),
Ken Muschamp (Conservative),
Jess Auton (Conservative)
Knellwood:
Mara Makunura (Conservative),
Calum Stewart (Conservative),
Paul Taylor (Conservative)
St. Johns:
Jacqui Vosper (Conservative),
Barbara Hurst (Conservative),
Jonathan Canty (Conservative)
St. Marks:
Dianne Bedford (Conservative),
Abul Chowdhury (Conservative was
Liberal Democrats),
Thomas Mitchell (Liberal Democrats)
West Heath:
Rod Cooper (Conservative),
Lee Jeffers (Conservative),
Michael Hope (Conservative)
County
Farnborough is represented on Hampshire County Council by three Divisions, each with a single elected representative.
Farnborough North:
Roz Chadd (Conservative)
Farnborough South:
Roland Dibbs (Conservative)
Farnborough West:
Rod Cooper (Conservative)
National
Since 2017, the local MP is
Leo Docherty
Leo Docherty (born 4 October 1976) is a British politician serving as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Europe since September 2022. He served as Minister of State for Europe from September to October 2022. He served as Minister for D ...
(Conservative) for the Constituency of
Aldershot
Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alders ...
, a former captain in the army.
Notable residents
* French emperor
Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...
, his wife
Empress Eugenie
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( e ...
and son
Louis Napoleon
Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...
are entombed in the crypt at
Saint Michael's Abbey, although it was only Eugenie who was a resident of Farnborough while alive. Their former house was turned into an independent
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...
and convent set in 64 acres of ground,
Farnborough Hill Convent
Farnborough Hill is a Roman Catholic independent day school for 550 girls aged 11–18 located in Farnborough, Hampshire. The school was established by the Religious of Christian Education order of nuns in 1889 and moved to the current site whe ...
*
Anne Robinson
Anne Josephine Robinson (born 26 September 1944) is an English television presenter and journalist. She was the host of BBC game show ''The Weakest Link'' (2000–2017). She presented the Channel 4 game show ''Countdown'' from June 2021 to July ...
went to school in Farnborough.
* Former Middlesex County Cricket Club captain
Shaun Udal
Shaun David Udal (born 18 March 1969) is an English cricketer. An off spin bowler and lower-middle order batsman, he was a member of England's Test team for their tours to Pakistan and India in 2005/06.
International career
He played in ten ...
, who also played for Hampshire and at international level for England, was born and raised here.
*
Arthur English
Arthur Leslie Norman English (9 May 1919 – 16 April 1995) was an English television, film and stage actor and comedian from the music hall tradition.
Early life
English was born at 22 Lysons Road in Aldershot,'Arthur English, ''Aldershot H ...
lived in Farnborough for a period, as well as
Christopher Lillicrap
Christopher J. Lillicrap (born 14 February 1949 in Plymouth, Devon) is a British television presenter, writer and composer. He is best known for being a children's TV presenter in the 1970s and '80s, and has numerous writing credits, including'' Ra ...
, children's TV presenter and writer.
*
Fernand Cabrol, monk and scholar became Prior and, later, Abbot at the Benedictine abbey.
* In 1922
T.E. Lawrence
Thomas Edward Lawrence (16 August 1888 – 19 May 1935) was a British archaeologist, army officer, diplomat, and writer who became renowned for his role in the Arab Revolt (1916–1918) and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign (1915–191 ...
(Lawrence of Arabia) was posted to
RAF
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
Farnborough for a photography course, it is thought he lived in Farnborough for 6 weeks.
* Actress
Janet Wright
Janet Wright (March 8, 1945 – November 14, 2016) was an English-born Canadian actress and theatre director. She was best known for her role as Emma Leroy on the Canadian sitcom, ''Corner Gas''. She performed in many film and television shows, a ...
was born in Farnborough before moving to
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
as a child.
*
Robbe De Hert
Robin François De Hert (20 September 1942 – 24 August 2020) was a Belgian film director.
De Hert won the André Cavens Award for Best Film in 2000, with his film ''Lijmen/Het Been''.
He died on 24 August 2020 at the age of 77 due to complic ...
, Belgian film director, was born in Farnborough.
* Composer
Percy Fletcher lived in Farnborough during the 1920s, when he was working in London as a theatre composer and conductor.
Media
Only some parts of Farnborough are served by two free local newspapers, The Star Courier (published from 18 September 2008 as a combination of the former Surrey Hants Star and the Aldershot Farnborough Courier) and The Rush, along with one local available for purchase, The Farnborough News & Mail. Although the local
ITV
ITV or iTV may refer to:
ITV
*Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of:
** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
news region is
ITV Meridian
ITV Meridian (previously Meridian Broadcasting) is the holder of the ITV franchise for the South and South East of England. The station was launched at 12:00 am on 1 January 1993, replacing previous broadcaster Television South, and is owned an ...
and the local
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
transmitters carrying London programming. Farnborough is covered by
...