Mytchett
Encyclopedia
Mytchett is a small village
in Surrey
approximately 35 miles south west of London
.
The village is approximately 2 miles long, but is constrained to the north by the South Western Main Line
, to the east by the Basingstoke Canal
and west by the River Blackwater, meaning the village is only around 3/4 of a mile wide. The census area Mytchett and Deepcut has a population of 6,197.
Traditionally the village centre is at Mytchett Crossroads
where a community centre was erected in the late 1980s. The village shops
are 1/2 mile north of this point along the main road towards Frimley Green
and Frimley
. There used to also be a Post Office
. However this was recently closed, and is now part of the Best One chain, although the Post Office
has now moved to the nearby Frimley Green.
links to London and the South, buses are limited to halfhourly services to Farnborough
, Aldershot
and Camberley
.
Despite having a railway line running through the village, Mytchett is not well served by rail. While Ash Vale station
is within walking distance from the village with a half-hourly service to London Waterloo, The other nearest railway stations to Mytchett are North Camp
and Farnborough North
on the North Downs Line
, with services to Reading
and Guildford
but no useful links to London. Farnborough (Main)
on the South Western Main Line with services to Basingstoke
and London Waterloo is several miles from the village.
This lack of public transport facilities is a local issue, especially among the less affluent residents in the social housing estates in the village. The most regular bus is the number 3, which runs from Camberley to Aldershot every half an hour.
was transported from the Tower of London
to Camp Z which was at Mytchett Place. This had been specially set up for his arrival with heavy security and bugging devices. Hess spent 13 months at Camp Z, which was the scene for one of his failed suicide attempt
s; he had thrown himself off a balcony on June 15, 1941.
The June 1942 move from Mytchett Place was to become notable following the release of MI5
files in 1999. Previously unfounded rumours had claimed that Hess
was moved because intelligence reports indicated that a Polish
group was planning to break into the Camp Z, kidnap Hess, and beat or kill him by way of revenge for Nazi atrocities in Poland
. The MI5 files included a reference to reports of a gun battle between Polish soldiers and guards at Mytchett, although no precise details were given, so the link is not conclusive.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
approximately 35 miles south west of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
The village is approximately 2 miles long, but is constrained to the north by the South Western Main Line
South Western Main Line
The South Western Main Line is a railway line between London Waterloo and Weymouth on the Dorset coast, in the south of England. It is a major railway which serves many important commuter areas, as well as the major settlements of Southampton and Bournemouth...
, to the east by the Basingstoke Canal
Basingstoke Canal
The Basingstoke Canal is a British Canal, completed in 1794, built to connect Basingstoke with the River Thames at Weybridge via the Wey Navigation....
and west by the River Blackwater, meaning the village is only around 3/4 of a mile wide. The census area Mytchett and Deepcut has a population of 6,197.
Traditionally the village centre is at Mytchett Crossroads
Crossroads (culture)
In folk magic and mythology, crossroads may represent a location "between the worlds" and, as such, a site where supernatural spirits can be contacted and paranormal events can take place...
where a community centre was erected in the late 1980s. The village shops
Retailing
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
are 1/2 mile north of this point along the main road towards Frimley Green
Frimley Green
Frimley Green is a large village in Surrey, South East England, UK, close to the border with Hampshire. It is close to the towns of Camberley and Frimley, with the nearest major town being Guildford, approximately 10 miles away....
and Frimley
Frimley
Frimley is a small English town situated 2 miles south of Camberley, in the extreme west of Surrey, adjacent to the border with Hampshire. It is about 31 miles west south-west of Central London. It is part of the Borough of Surrey Heath...
. There used to also be a Post Office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
. However this was recently closed, and is now part of the Best One chain, although the Post Office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
has now moved to the nearby Frimley Green.
Transport
Although Mytchett has good roadRoad
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
links to London and the South, buses are limited to halfhourly services to Farnborough
Farnborough, Hampshire
-History:Name changes: Ferneberga ; Farnburghe, Farenberg ; Farnborowe, Fremborough, Fameborough .Tower Hill, Cove: There is substantial evidence...
, Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
and Camberley
Camberley
Camberley is a town in Surrey, England, situated 31 miles southwest of central London, in the corridor between the M3 and M4 motorways. The town lies close to the borders of both Hampshire and Berkshire; the boundaries intersect on the western edge of the town where all three counties...
.
Despite having a railway line running through the village, Mytchett is not well served by rail. While Ash Vale station
Ash Vale railway station
Ash Vale is a railway station serving the village of Ash Vale in Surrey, England. It is situated at the junction of the London to Alton line and the line from Ascot to Guildford. The station and all trains serving it are operated by South West Trains....
is within walking distance from the village with a half-hourly service to London Waterloo, The other nearest railway stations to Mytchett are North Camp
North Camp railway station
North Camp railway station is situated in the civil parish of Ash in Surrey, England. It takes its name from an area of the nearby town of Farnborough, Hampshire....
and Farnborough North
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 First Great Western, who operate services on the North Downs Line from Reading to Guildford, Redhill and Gatwick Airport....
on the North Downs Line
North Downs Line
The North Downs Line is the name of the passenger train service connecting Reading, on the Great Western Main Line, to Gatwick Airport, on the Brighton Main Line...
, with services to Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
and Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
but no useful links to London. Farnborough (Main)
Farnborough railway station
Farnborough railway station serves the town of Farnborough in Hampshire, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by South West Trains. It is one of two stations serving Farnborough: the other, Farnborough North, is situated on the North Downs Line...
on the South Western Main Line with services to Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
and London Waterloo is several miles from the village.
This lack of public transport facilities is a local issue, especially among the less affluent residents in the social housing estates in the village. The most regular bus is the number 3, which runs from Camberley to Aldershot every half an hour.
Rudolf Hess
On May 20, 1941, Rudolf HessRudolf Hess
Rudolf Walter Richard Hess was a prominent Nazi politician who was Adolf Hitler's deputy in the Nazi Party during the 1930s and early 1940s...
was transported from the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
to Camp Z which was at Mytchett Place. This had been specially set up for his arrival with heavy security and bugging devices. Hess spent 13 months at Camp Z, which was the scene for one of his failed suicide attempt
Failed suicide attempt
Failed suicide attempts comprise a large portion of suicide attempts. Some are regarded as not true attempts at all, but rather parasuicide. The usual attempt may be a wish to affect another person by the behaviour. Consequently, it occurs in a social context and may represent a request for help....
s; he had thrown himself off a balcony on June 15, 1941.
The June 1942 move from Mytchett Place was to become notable following the release of MI5
MI5
The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
files in 1999. Previously unfounded rumours had claimed that Hess
Rudolf Hess
Rudolf Walter Richard Hess was a prominent Nazi politician who was Adolf Hitler's deputy in the Nazi Party during the 1930s and early 1940s...
was moved because intelligence reports indicated that a Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
group was planning to break into the Camp Z, kidnap Hess, and beat or kill him by way of revenge for Nazi atrocities in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. The MI5 files included a reference to reports of a gun battle between Polish soldiers and guards at Mytchett, although no precise details were given, so the link is not conclusive.