Aldershot

Aldershot is a mid sized town in the North East of Hampshire on the Surrey border. Its name is possibly derived from the word Alder meaning boggy place. The area was mentioned in the Domesday book but not as the current name.

Aldershot is mostly associated with the Military. During the Crimean war in the 19th Century, the Army established a base which transformed it from a small village to a population of 16,000 people in 10 years. One notable event of the Army's presence is the Aldershot Military Tattoo (now known as the Aldershot Army Show), which started between the two World wars which was before the Edinburgh tattoo was started. The annual event continues today, but the army presence in Aldershot has lessened as a result of recent mergers in the regiments. Click Here for Official Website.

One notable features of Aldershot is a good statue of the Duke of Wellington on horseback. There is also the Aldershot Observatory, a red brick domed roof building that dates from the 1850s which houses and 8 inch telescope. Because of its army presence, Aldershot has a good selection of pubs and hotels for people who visit.