Wellesley Woodlands lie at the heart of Wellesley, a new housing development on the site of part of the former Army Garrison in Aldershot. The development will comprise 3,850 new homes, as well as the restoration of six listed buildings, two new primary schools, a neighbourhood centre with local shops, play areas, day care facilities,
Today: The remaining buildings provide a unique record of the development of military history from 1870s to the present day, as well providing a poignant reminder to those who have served in the army or are connected to the area. The remnants of the carefully conceived mature landscape provide an ideal setting for the next
1995: Closure of Louise Margaret Hospital. 1996: Closure of Cambridge Military Hospital. 2000: The army gradually moved from South Camp to newly constructed buildings in North Camp, resulting in the site becoming increasingly disused.
The first new barrack complex to be completed in South Camp was ‘Montgomery Lines’, built on the site of the former Corunna, Barossa and Albuhera barracks, west of Queen’s Avenue. The barracks were named after Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery, Colonel Commandant of the Parachute Regiment from 1944 to 1956, who officially opened the barracks on
The 1960s heralded the third major phase of redevelopment in Aldershot. As with 1890s Barracks Act reconstruction, this later redevelopment reflected the changing nature of warfare and the desire to improve the living and working environment of soldiers and their families. The 1960s development, just like the Barrack Act building program, embodied the latest ideas
Aldershot military camp played a major role in the Second World War. The Garrison was once again strongly associated with the Canadian Army, serving as a major centre for units arriving in the United Kingdom and for repatriation at the end of the war. The Second World War had relatively little impact on the buildings
18,207 military personnel. It was from Aldershot that the British Expeditionary Force set out for France at the start of the First World War. The Garrison also had a strong association with the Canadian Army with three of the main Canadian units located within the Aldershot Command during the First World War.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the South Camp was still expanding and Aldershot became the home of the 1st and 2nd Divisions, which comprised the bulk of the 1st British Army.
The Louise Margaret Hospital was built east of Cambridge Military Hospital, to treat soldiers’ wives and children. The hospital was designed in a compact version of the pavilion ward layout and was named after the HRH The Duchess of Connaught and Strathearn.
The second major phase of redevelopment at Aldershot occurred as a result of the 1890 Barrack Act, which proposed reconstruction of the country’s major military camps in in permanent materials. In Aldershot, this involved the replacement of the existing wooden hutted accommodation with permanent brick buildings. The reconstruction comprehensively swept away the existing huts. However,