Aldershot`s Manor park

Figure 1 Entrance to Park from the Aldershot Green/Churchill road end
A leisurely one mile
stroll through the
history of Aldershot’s
Manor park, considered
by many as the most
attractive and pleasant
parts of our town.
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© Clive Andrews Nov 2011
A one mile walk in Manor Park Aldershot.
1) The walk starts by entering the park at its North east corner near the junction of Church Hill and the
High Street (A323) opposite the Golden Lion Pub. This park entrance is by the children’s play ground (to
your left) the Public conveniences (to your right) and near the Duck pond in front of you.
Figure 2 Start of Walk
Manor Park was purchased by the Aldershot Urban district council in 1919. Some of the scenes during
the granting of Municipal status to the borough on 21st June 1922 occurred here, when the Mayor-elect
Arthur H Smith, addressed the assembled crowd. The park is close to the original site of the old village of
Aldershot, which existed long before the army came, with history dating back to Anglo-Saxon times. Just
outside the gates and at the junction of Churchill road with the high street is a small triangle of grass
and flower beds. This area, known as Aldershot Green, was the traditional site of the village green of the
old village. The green today features a sun dial given by Walter Finch (1922) and bearing the inscription:“I Count the Bright Hours Only”. Mr. Finch was the son of Ebenezer Finch who founded the undertakers
business in the high street.
2) After entering the park, turn left and walk up hill, past the children’s play ground and away from the
Public convenience and duck pond, until you come to the old 17th C. Manor house on your left. Also
notice to your right a damp hollow that has been left as a wild life area with willow trees and some
oaks.
The old Manor was built in 1630 by Sir Walter Tichbourne and was occupied by the Tichbourne family for
the next 200 years or so. An older manor once existed in Aldershot Park near the site of the Lido. The
Tichbournes felt that they required a grander residence and hence the current building was constructed.
After the ownership by the Tichbournes, It passed through various hands until it was purchased by
Aldershot Urban district council 1919.
3) Continue in the same direction, past the manor house, where almost immediately you will see the
Veolia/Council plant nursery and depot on your right. Take a path to the left, and behind the manor
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© Clive Andrews Nov 2011
you will encounter the Second World War memorial, consisting of a Statue of Christ and a sunken
garden.
The statue of Christ is known as the hero’s shrine, and depicts Christ stilling the storms. The sunken
garden and rockery is not only a local war memorial, but also a memorial to those who died during the
battle of Britain and due to civilian bombing during the war. Many of the pieces of masonry used in the
construction were from the rubble of destroyed buildings in towns that had suffered war damage during
the Blitz. The monument was officially unveiled on the 5th May 1950
Figure 3 Old Manor House and the Hero’s Shrine.
4) Retrace steps to original path and turn left at the rear of St Michael’s church. You should pass a
memorial stone commemorating the Great War with the inscription, “Their Name Liveth For Evermore
1914- 1919”. Pass this memorial, and exit the park onto Church Hill. Turn right and walk along the
pavement to the junction of Church Hill with Church Lane east. Then turn right.
Figure 4 Great War memorial stone
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© Clive Andrews Nov 2011
The church building dates back to at least the 12C but the tower was rebuilt in the reign of Queen
Elizabeth 1st, and was possible part of a beacon chain used to pass on warnings against the invasion of
the Spaniards. The clock is newer and was installed in 1799. Further extensions to the church were made
in 1859 (soon after the Army arrived) and in 1911, leaving the tower as the oldest part of the exterior. A
clash during the Civil war (1645) resulted in the burning, by the royalist, of the old village of Aldershot,
but St Michael’s church was spared. The church has a peel of eight bells of which three are old and date
back to the 17th C, and before
Figure 5 St Michael's church
5) Pass the front of St Michael the Archangel’s church with its brick and stone tower and interesting clock
until you reach an entrance into the park. Re-enter and walk straight ahead, past the tennis courts on
your left and then just past the Veolia/Council depot. At this point turn left into Manor Walk, observing
the ‘wild life’ area on your right.
The house opposite the church, built in 1902 in a mock Tudor style, is the Aldershot Vicarage, which was
built on the site of an earlier vicarage. Adjacent is the Vicarage stables, a small brick building with a
brick tiled roof. This building could have been part of the original vicarage.
6) Manor walk, bordered in places by a laurel hedge, passes between new houses and flats on your left
and the park on your right. The open area to your right was until recently the site of Skate Board area
removed in Febuary 2012. The new flats occupy the site of the now demolished Manor park secondary
school. Follow this path to its end where it becomes a narrow road, with housing on either side. At this
point look to your right where you should find an entrance through railings, back into the park. This
entrance is un-surfaced, somewhat rough, and may be muddy in winter.
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© Clive Andrews Nov 2011
Figure 6 Manor Walk
Manor park secondary school was built in the 1930s and closed with the building of Heron wood
comprehensive school (now Connaught school) in 1964, which is now the only secondary school in
Aldershot. The buildings were used, for a while, by Farnborough technical college as the Manor park
Annex, which was vacated in 1999 after which the site became redundant and was redeveloped with the
building of flats.
7) This area of the park, which was once the playing field of Manor school, has recently been planted, by
the community, with various species of native trees and bushes, and in time should mature into a
small community woodlands. Notice that the council have mowed a number of pathways through the
area. Take the pathway to your left, following, downhill, the boundary fence of the park. At the lower
boundary, where some modern flats have been built adjacent to the park, turn right and emerge from
this planted area near the North West entrance of the park and near the other end of the duck pond.
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© Clive Andrews Nov 2011
Figure 7 New Community Woodland
Looking uphill across the park towards Manor walk from the North East entrance, you will notice a main
path crossing the park bordered by mature trees. This avenue, known as the major’s walk, was planted
by Major Newcome one of the last owners of the Manor, and contains a varied variety of trees some
brought back by the major from his overseas tours of service.
Near this North East entrance, within the fenced area of the duck pond can be found an example of a
Champion tree, which is a member of the Poplar family, and is characterised by bright yellow summer
foliage. ( Populus Serotina Aurea – Golden Popular)
8)
Take the path that follows the perimeter of the park with the High street, and walk past the duck
pond to shortly reach your starting position.
Manor Park contains a natural spring so the duck pond is always full even after a spell of very dry
weather. Across the high street, outside of the park was the site of the now demolished Pavilion Cinema,
which opened in December 1926 and closed in September 1956, to be replaced by office accomodation.
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© Clive Andrews Nov 2011
Figure 8 Manor Park duck pond
9) Post script:
I trust you enjoyed your 1 mile walk around Manor Park, which at all seasons of the year presents a
colourful and varied scene for the visitor. The first mayor of the municipality, at the end of his speech in
manor park on that day in 1922 when Aldershot achieved municipal status said:- “The Manor House there,
the old church behind it, and the grounds surrounding this place is the actual old history of Aldershot.....”
This quotation from Alderman Smith’s speech sums up both the importance and attractiveness of this
small gem in our Aldershot town today.
I trust some of you may check my facts, correct my mistakes, add your own ideas to enhance the
description, and best of all just enjoy Manor Park.
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© Clive Andrews Nov 2011