Sandhurst
Encyclopedia
Sandhurst is a small town and civil parish in England
of 7,966 homes and 20,803 inhabitants (2001 Census data), primarily domiciliary in nature with a few light industries. It is in the south eastern corner of the ceremonial Royal County of Berkshire
, within the Borough of Bracknell Forest
, and is situated 33 miles (53.1 km) south west of central London
, 2.5 miles (4 km) north west of Camberley
and 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Bracknell
.
Sandhurst is known worldwide as the location of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
(often referred to simply as "Sandhurst", "The Academy" or "The RMA"). Despite its close proximity to Camberley
, Sandhurst is also home to a large and well-known out-of-town mercantile development. The site is named "The Meadows" and has a Tesco
Extra hypermarket
and a Marks and Spencer, two of the largest in the country.
of England
on the border of the home counties
of Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey. The town itself consists of four main districts, from west to east: Little Sandhurst
, Sandhurst (central) and College Town
, with Owlsmoor
to the northeast. North of the town are Edgbarrow Woods and Wildmoor Heath. To the east is Broadmoor Bottom, an expanse of heathland together with fir tree plantations. This eventually backs onto the high-security Broadmoor Hospital
.
Sandhurst is bordered, on the south, by the River Blackwater
, and several of the Yateley
Lakes along its course are within the parish, notably Trilakes with its country park. This is also the county boundary with Hampshire
at Blackwater. The town of Crowthorne
is to the north, the village of Finchampstead
to the west, and Camberley
, across the Surrey
county boundary, is on its southeastern side. This is the closest sizeable town, though Sandhurst is also only 9.5 km (5.9 mi) south of the new town
of Bracknell
.
The soil, not surprisingly, is sand
y, with a subsoil
of sand and gravel
.
, is close to junction 4 of the M3
motorway (3.4 miles) and within easy reach of the M4
(10.3 miles) via the Crowthorne
bypass (A3095) to Bracknell
and the A329(M)
towards Reading
. Sandhurst railway station
is served by First Great Western
, on the line between Gatwick, Guildford
and Reading
.
District. The ancient parish of Sandhurst also covered Crowthorne
, until this became an ecclesiastical parish
in its own right in 1874 and a civil parish in 1894. The current Mayor of Sandhurst is Councillor Dale Birch.
, a large minster parish
spreading over much of eastern Berkshire
, which later became a hundred
when its villages obtained their own churches. These lands belonged to the Bishops of Salisbury
. There were two manors
in Sandhurst: ‘Hall’ in the grounds of what is now the Royal Military Academy and ‘Sandhurst’ on the site of Sandhurst Lodge. Nothing remains of the original buildings.
Forest, Sandhurst Walke being an important forest division subject to forest laws. Locals had the right to cut turf, bracken, heather and wood that was primarily cultivated to feed the forest deer. These were hunted by Royal parties from a hunting lodge in the vicinity of Hart's Leap Road. A number of disputes are on record, showing how Sandhurst people sometimes took more resources than was allowed.
Farming has always remained a major part of village life here and some defunct farms are still remembered in the names of housing estates, roads and even a restaurant: Sandhurst Farm, Snaprails, Caves Farm, Ambarrow Farm, College Farm, Rectory Farm, Beech Farm and Rackstraws Farm. In the mid-16th century, William, Lord Sandys
, the Lord Chancellor
to King Henry VIII
, owned a supposed manor called 'Buckhurst' in the area between College Town and Central Sandhurst.
in 1812.
The railway arrived in 1849 and a number of large country residences were subsequently erected in the area: amongst them, Harts Leap, Forest End, St Helens Upland, The Warren, Longdown Lodge, Ryefield, Snaprails, and Ambarrow Court. Sandhurst Lodge was erected in about 1858 by Robert Gibson and leased to John Walter
, of the Times
Newspaper, and then Sir William Farrer
, solicitor to Queen Victoria and The Duke of Wellington
. Perry Hill and The Ceders came later. Only a few remain today. The others have been demolished and land developed.
Such large houses and institutions, including the Broadmoor Asylum for the Criminally Insane
and Wellington College
in nearby Crowthorne
, led to a great expansion of the local population as people moved into the area looking for work. Further residential housing was erected for these workers, as well as more schools for their children, more places of worship and other community resources.
St. Michael's Church of England School, Little Sandhurst, was opened in 1862 and other schools followed in quick succession:
Until Sandhurst Comprehensive - now Sandhurst School
- was built in 1969 in Owlsmoor, Secondary-age pupils were sent to Edgbarrow school
in Crowthorne, Forest Grammar School
for boys in Winnersh or Holt School for girls in Wokingham.
From the late 1950s to the 80s, large housing estates have been built creating the conglomerate town of today from the original four villages of College Town, (Central)Sandhurst, Little Sandhurst and Owlsmoor.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
of 7,966 homes and 20,803 inhabitants (2001 Census data), primarily domiciliary in nature with a few light industries. It is in the south eastern corner of the ceremonial Royal County of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, within the Borough of Bracknell Forest
Bracknell Forest
Bracknell Forest is a unitary authority and borough in Berkshire in southern England. It covers the towns of Bracknell, North Ascot, Sandhurst, Crowthorne and surrounding villages and hamlets.-History:...
, and is situated 33 miles (53.1 km) south west of central 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...
, 2.5 miles (4 km) north west of 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...
and 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Bracknell
Bracknell
Bracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London...
.
Sandhurst is known worldwide as the location of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
(often referred to simply as "Sandhurst", "The Academy" or "The RMA"). Despite its close proximity to 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...
, Sandhurst is also home to a large and well-known out-of-town mercantile development. The site is named "The Meadows" and has a Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
Extra hypermarket
Hypermarket
In commerce, a hypermarket is a superstore combining a supermarket and a department store. The result is an expansive retail facility carrying a wide range of products under one roof, including full groceries lines and general merchandise...
and a Marks and Spencer, two of the largest in the country.
Geography
Sandhurst is located at . Sandhurst is situated within the South EastSouth East England
South East England is one of the nine official regions of England, designated in 1994 and adopted for statistical purposes in 1999. It consists of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on the border of the home counties
Home Counties
The home counties is a term which refers to the counties of South East England and the East of England which border London, but do not include the capital city itself...
of Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey. The town itself consists of four main districts, from west to east: Little Sandhurst
Little Sandhurst
Little Sandhurst is a suburb of Sandhurst in Berkshire, England, and part of the civil parish of Sandhurst.The settlement lies near to the A321 road, and is located approximately north-west Sandhurst town centre.- Public houses :*Bird in Hand, The...
, Sandhurst (central) and College Town
College Town, Berkshire
College Town is a village in Berkshire, England, and a suburb of Sandhurst.The settlement lies north of the A321 road and is approximately west of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst....
, with Owlsmoor
Owlsmoor
Owlsmoor is a suburb of Sandhurst in Berkshire, England, and part of the civil parish of Sandhurst.The settlement lies near to the A3095 road, and is located approximately north-east of Sandhurst town centre....
to the northeast. North of the town are Edgbarrow Woods and Wildmoor Heath. To the east is Broadmoor Bottom, an expanse of heathland together with fir tree plantations. This eventually backs onto the high-security Broadmoor Hospital
Broadmoor Hospital
Broadmoor Hospital is a high-security psychiatric hospital at Crowthorne in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It is the best known of the three high-security psychiatric hospitals in England, the other two being Ashworth and Rampton...
.
Sandhurst is bordered, on the south, by the River Blackwater
River Blackwater (River Loddon)
The River Blackwater is a tributary of the River Loddon in England and, indirectly, of the River Thames. It rises at Rowhill on the outskirts of Aldershot between Aldershot in Hampshire and Farnham in Surrey and runs northwards to join the Loddon near the village of Swallowfield in Berkshire...
, and several of the Yateley
Yateley
Yateley is a suburban town and civil parish in the English county of Hampshire. It lies in the north-eastern corner of Hart District Council. It includes the settlements of Frogmore and Darby Green. It had a population of 21,011 according to the 2001 census...
Lakes along its course are within the parish, notably Trilakes with its country park. This is also the county boundary with Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
at Blackwater. The town of Crowthorne
Crowthorne
Crowthorne is also a suburb of Johannesburg, South AfricaCrowthorne is a village and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest district of south-eastern Berkshire. It has a population of 6,711...
is to the north, the village of Finchampstead
Finchampstead
Finchampstead is a civil parish near Wokingham in the English county of Berkshire. Its northern extremity is situated south of Wokingham, west of Bracknell, south-east of Reading, and west of Central London.-Geography:...
to the west, 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...
, across the 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...
county boundary, is on its southeastern side. This is the closest sizeable town, though Sandhurst is also only 9.5 km (5.9 mi) south of the new town
New town
A new town is a specific type of a planned community, or planned city, that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are uncommon in new...
of Bracknell
Bracknell
Bracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London...
.
The soil, not surprisingly, is sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
y, with a subsoil
Subsoil
Subsoil, or substrata, is the layer of soil under the topsoil on the surface of the ground. The subsoil may include substances such as clay and/or sand that has only been partially broken down by air, sunlight, water, wind etc., to produce true soil...
of sand and gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
.
Communications
Sandhurst lies just off the A30A30 road
The 284 miles A30 road from London to Land's End, historically known as the Great South West Road used to provide the most direct route from London to the south west; more recently the M3 motorway and A303 road performs this function for much of the route and only parts of A30 now retain trunk...
, is close to junction 4 of the M3
M3 motorway
The M3 motorway runs in England for approximately from Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, to Southampton, Hampshire and forms an unsigned section European route E05. It is dual three lanes as far as Junction 8 near Basingstoke and then dual two lane until Junction 9 near Winchester and then dual three...
motorway (3.4 miles) and within easy reach of the M4
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
(10.3 miles) via the Crowthorne
Crowthorne
Crowthorne is also a suburb of Johannesburg, South AfricaCrowthorne is a village and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest district of south-eastern Berkshire. It has a population of 6,711...
bypass (A3095) to Bracknell
Bracknell
Bracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London...
and the A329(M)
A329(M) motorway
The A329 is a motorway in Berkshire, England. It is 4 miles long and runs from the north of Bracknell to the south east of Reading.-Route:...
towards 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....
. Sandhurst railway station
Sandhurst railway station
Sandhurst railway station is a railway station in the town of Sandhurst in Berkshire, 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...
is served by First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
, on the line between Gatwick, 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...
and 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....
.
Local government
Sandhurst has representation through several tiers of government - town council, unitary authority, parliamentary (UK and European). Its Town Council is divided into four wards, Central Sandhurst, Little Sandhurst, College Town and Owlsmoor, all represented by twenty-four councillors. It is also part of the Bracknell ForestBracknell Forest
Bracknell Forest is a unitary authority and borough in Berkshire in southern England. It covers the towns of Bracknell, North Ascot, Sandhurst, Crowthorne and surrounding villages and hamlets.-History:...
District. The ancient parish of Sandhurst also covered Crowthorne
Crowthorne
Crowthorne is also a suburb of Johannesburg, South AfricaCrowthorne is a village and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest district of south-eastern Berkshire. It has a population of 6,711...
, until this became an ecclesiastical parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
in its own right in 1874 and a civil parish in 1894. The current Mayor of Sandhurst is Councillor Dale Birch.
History
Saxon and Medieval periods
The name of the village is Anglo-Saxon and originates from the sandy soils and the hurst (a wooded eminence) of the area. In early 14th century records, Sandhurst appears as part of township of SonningSonning
Sonning, occasionally called Sonning-on-Thames is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Wokingham in the English county of Berkshire, a few miles east of Reading. The village is situated on the River Thames and was described by Jerome K...
, a large minster parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
spreading over much of eastern Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, which later became a hundred
Hundred (division)
A hundred is a geographic division formerly used in England, Wales, Denmark, South Australia, some parts of the United States, Germany , Sweden, Finland and Norway, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative divisions...
when its villages obtained their own churches. These lands belonged to the Bishops of Salisbury
Bishop of Salisbury
The Bishop of Salisbury is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers much of the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset...
. There were two manors
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
in Sandhurst: ‘Hall’ in the grounds of what is now the Royal Military Academy and ‘Sandhurst’ on the site of Sandhurst Lodge. Nothing remains of the original buildings.
Tudor to Georgian periods
In the early modern era, Sandhurst parish was a small farming community on the very edge of WindsorWindsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
Forest, Sandhurst Walke being an important forest division subject to forest laws. Locals had the right to cut turf, bracken, heather and wood that was primarily cultivated to feed the forest deer. These were hunted by Royal parties from a hunting lodge in the vicinity of Hart's Leap Road. A number of disputes are on record, showing how Sandhurst people sometimes took more resources than was allowed.
Farming has always remained a major part of village life here and some defunct farms are still remembered in the names of housing estates, roads and even a restaurant: Sandhurst Farm, Snaprails, Caves Farm, Ambarrow Farm, College Farm, Rectory Farm, Beech Farm and Rackstraws Farm. In the mid-16th century, William, Lord Sandys
William Sandys, 1st Baron Sandys of the Vyne
William Sandys, 1st Baron Sandys of the Vyne was an English Tudor diplomat, Lord Chamberlain and favourite of King Henry VIII....
, the Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
to King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, owned a supposed manor called 'Buckhurst' in the area between College Town and Central Sandhurst.
Victorian and Modern periods
Life changed very little in Sandhurst until the 19th century when large sections of land were sold for the building of the Royal Military College, which moved from MarlowMarlow, Buckinghamshire
Marlow is a town and civil parish within Wycombe district in south Buckinghamshire, England...
in 1812.
The railway arrived in 1849 and a number of large country residences were subsequently erected in the area: amongst them, Harts Leap, Forest End, St Helens Upland, The Warren, Longdown Lodge, Ryefield, Snaprails, and Ambarrow Court. Sandhurst Lodge was erected in about 1858 by Robert Gibson and leased to John Walter
John Walter (third)
John Walter was an English newspaper publisher and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1847 and 1885....
, of the Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
Newspaper, and then Sir William Farrer
William Farrer
William James Farrer was a leading Australian agronomist and plant breeder. Farrer is best remembered as the originator of the "Federation" strain of wheat, distributed in 1903...
, solicitor to Queen Victoria and The Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
. Perry Hill and The Ceders came later. Only a few remain today. The others have been demolished and land developed.
Such large houses and institutions, including the Broadmoor Asylum for the Criminally Insane
Broadmoor Hospital
Broadmoor Hospital is a high-security psychiatric hospital at Crowthorne in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It is the best known of the three high-security psychiatric hospitals in England, the other two being Ashworth and Rampton...
and Wellington College
Wellington College, Berkshire
-Former pupils:Notable former pupils include historian P. J. Marshall, architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, impressionist Rory Bremner, Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, author Sebastian Faulks, language school pioneer John Haycraft, political journalist Robin Oakley, actor Sir Christopher...
in nearby Crowthorne
Crowthorne
Crowthorne is also a suburb of Johannesburg, South AfricaCrowthorne is a village and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest district of south-eastern Berkshire. It has a population of 6,711...
, led to a great expansion of the local population as people moved into the area looking for work. Further residential housing was erected for these workers, as well as more schools for their children, more places of worship and other community resources.
- St. Michael's Parish Church, Little Sandhurst, dates from the 13th century, but was largely rebuilt in 1853.
- The Baptist Church, Central Sandhurst, was built in 1884.
- The Wesleyan MethodistMethodist Church of Great BritainThe Methodist Church of Great Britain is the largest Wesleyan Methodist body in the United Kingdom, with congregations across Great Britain . It is the United Kingdom's fourth largest Christian denomination, with around 300,000 members and 6,000 churches...
chapel, Central Sandhurst, followed in 1906. - The Parish ChurchChurch of England parish churchA parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of St George's http://www.stgeorgeowlsmoor.org.uk, Owlsmoor, was built as a wooden structure in 1960 and was rebuilt in 1993. - The Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, Church of the Immaculate Conception, Yorktown Road, was built in 1959.
St. Michael's Church of England School, Little Sandhurst, was opened in 1862 and other schools followed in quick succession:
- Old Scotland Hill, Little Sandhurst, in 1871,
- The Methodist, Central Sandhurst, in 1906,
- College Town in 1907,
- Uplands, Central Sandhurst, in 1962 and
- Owlsmoor Primary was added in 1974.
Until Sandhurst Comprehensive - now Sandhurst School
Sandhurst School
Sandhurst School is a secondary school in Sandhurst, Berkshire. Sandhurst School has over 1000 pupils and is currently specialising in science. The school has Dean Williams of the Guildford Heat basketball team working as a Mathematics teacher...
- was built in 1969 in Owlsmoor, Secondary-age pupils were sent to Edgbarrow school
Edgbarrow School
Edgbarrow School is a secondary comprehensive school in Crowthorne, Berkshire, England. The school is the main state secondary school in the area, and includes Edgbarrow Sixth Form College...
in Crowthorne, Forest Grammar School
Forest School (Winnersh)
Forest School is a comprehensive, all-boys' secondary school in Winnersh, Berkshire, England judged to be "Good" with some "Outstanding" aspects in it's most recent OFSTED inspection. It is located on Robin Hood Lane, the B3030 road, next to Winnersh railway station.-Grammar school:Forest School...
for boys in Winnersh or Holt School for girls in Wokingham.
From the late 1950s to the 80s, large housing estates have been built creating the conglomerate town of today from the original four villages of College Town, (Central)Sandhurst, Little Sandhurst and Owlsmoor.
Recreation and sport
- The Sandhurst tug of warTug of warTug of war, also known as tug o' war, tug war, rope war or rope pulling, is a sport that directly pits two teams against each other in a test of strength. The term may also be used as a metaphor to describe a demonstration of brute strength by two opposing groups, such as a rivalry between two...
team have been three times World champions, as seen on sign posts entering the town. - Sandhurst's football team, Sandhurst Town F.C.Sandhurst Town F.C.Sandhurst Town Football Club is a football club based in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England. Formed in 1910, the club plays at Bottom Meadow.-History:...
, has its home ground at Bottom Meadow. It currently plays in the Combined County League http://www.ccleague.co.uk/ - Division premier. - Sandhurst Cricket Club field two teams in the Berkshire League with the 1st XI in the premier division. They also have a Sunday side and a Midweek XI, plus a growing junior section (U11s & U9s).
- Sandhurst Joggers has more than 300 members. Founded in 1987.
- Sandhurst Recreation Park contains tennis and basketball courts, cricket and football pitches, playground (with large sand-play area) and a small skateparkSkateparkA skatepark is a purpose-built recreational environment made for skateboarding, BMX, aggressive inline skating and scooters. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, quarter pipes, spine transfers, handrails, funboxes, vert ramps, pyramids, banked ramps, full pipes, pools, bowls, snake runs stairsets,...
. The Coffee Spot - a local public dining establishment - is in the vicinity. The park has a large water area (called a balancing pond) where a firework show is held once a year, usually on the closest Saturday to Guy Fawkes NightGuy Fawkes NightGuy Fawkes Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Day, Bonfire Night and Firework Night, is an annual commemoration observed on 5 November, primarily in England. Its history begins with the events of 5 November 1605, when Guy Fawkes, a member of the Gunpowder Plot, was arrested while guarding...
and the Sandhurst Donkey Derby - a community festival - is also an annual event. - Sandhurst Sports Centre is in the Owlsmoor area. It is facilitated By Sandhurst SchoolSandhurst SchoolSandhurst School is a secondary school in Sandhurst, Berkshire. Sandhurst School has over 1000 pupils and is currently specialising in science. The school has Dean Williams of the Guildford Heat basketball team working as a Mathematics teacher...
and has various facilities for sporting and recreational activities. - Sandhurst has an active Historical SocietyHistorical societyA historical society is an organization that collects, researches, interprets and preserves information or items of historical interest. Generally, a historical society focuses on a specific geographical area, such as a county or town or subject, such as aviation or rail. Many historical...
.
Famous residents
- HRH Prince William of Wales (now Duke of Cambridge) resided at the Royal Military Academy SandhurstRoyal Military Academy SandhurstThe Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
between January and December 2006. - Emily Marsden Payne - World Tumbling Gymnastics Champion 2009