Ash Vale
- Ash
- Guildford
- Surrey
- South East
- Godalming and Ash
Ash Vale is a village in the borough of Guildford in Surrey, England and the larger, northern settlement of the civil parish of Ash. It is 7 miles (11 km) from Guildford but is closer to the Hampshire towns of Aldershot and Farnborough, the centres of which are each about two miles (4 km) away, immediately across the two crossings of the River Blackwater, to the southwest and northwest.
Geography
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/Ricochet_Hill%2C_Ash_Military_Ranges_-_geograph.org.uk_-_305829.jpg/220px-Ricochet_Hill%2C_Ash_Military_Ranges_-_geograph.org.uk_-_305829.jpg)
Ash Vale's extent is on two sides clearly demarcated, by the river to the west and at a few locks' higher elevation by the parallel Basingstoke Canal to the east – across these boundaries are, respectively, Aldershot Garrison (Military Town) and the large Surrey Heath MoD, mostly UK Army, ranges and training areas. The latter is a co-managed County Wildlife Site, for instance Ash Ranges at 2,439 acres (987 ha) and Pirbright Ranges at 2,765 acres (1,119 ha), with various access days and parts (see the Wildlife's Trust website).[2] The type of soil of the east, the heath is very acidic, sandy and loamy which makes up just 1.9% of English soil and 0.2% of Welsh soil, which gives rise to pines and coniferous landscapes, such as pioneered at Wentworth and Foxhills estate and is good for biodiversity.[3]
Two branch railway lines cross in the middle of the village without forming a junction. In the north of the village are Ash Vale railway station and North Camp railway station, on the London-Aldershot-Alton Line and the Reading-Guildford-Gatwick Line respectively. In addition, trains run through Ash Vale from Guildford to Ascot via Aldershot. The village owes its development to the Garrison and to the railways; see the description of the often heath soil under the Ash article, explaining how to the south lies a limited area of fertile farming country.
Environment
Air pollution is very low, with no Air Quality Management Areas in this borough or that immediately adjoining, Rushmoor.[4] Drainage is good, the whole draining westward by the gentle valley of the upper Blackwater.[5] In eastern parts distant ordnance fire can be heard from Ash ranges and occasional light aircraft on various tracks over the village take off from Farnborough Airport approximately three miles west.
History
Economy and amenities
Although Ash Vale was a small semi-military community of the post-war era, the village is now largely a commuter settlement, relying on the half-hourly 40-minute railway connection to Waterloo (there are also local services). While 417 employed residents worked at/from home in 2001, the remaining 1306 commuted, of whom 682 responded they commuted less than 5 kilometres (3.1 mi).[citation needed]
Holly Lodge (Primary) School is next to Carrington Park, which has playground facilities and a route between nearby North Camp Station and Mytchett lake and Basingstoke Canal Visitor Centre on the Basingstoke Canal. The canal's towpath runs through the village.
Parks and Nature reserves in Ash Vale
- Carrington Recreation Ground, off Lysons Avenue
- Snaky Lane Local Nature Reserve, off Stratford Road
- Avondale Park, Avondale
- Lakeside Park, Lakeside Road
- Park off Hawker Road, Old Farm Place Estate
- Park off Beaufort Road, Old Farm Place Estate
- Park off Old Farm Place, Old Farm Place Estate
South of the village are:
- Lakeside Park nature reserve
- Willow Park Fishery
- Ash Parish Allotments
Youth outreach
The Normandy Youth Centre serves the area by sponsoring community-based programs targeting youth in the area (especially marginal groups and minorities) for the purpose of increasing exposure to educational opportunities and building a stronger community.[6]
Notable residents
- Ethel Caterham, supercentenarian, oldest living Briton and last surviving Edwardian
- Samuel Franklin Cody, the first man to achieve powered heavier-than-air flight in Britain. [n 1]
- Darren and Martin Bicknell, professional cricketers.
See also
- List of places of worship in Guildford (borough)
Notes and references
- notes
- ^ The house, "Valecroft", where he spent the last few years of his life, still stands and a blue plaque on its wall commemorates Cody.[7]
- references
- ^ Key Statistics: Population; Quick Statistics: Economic indicators Archived 11 February 2003 at the Wayback Machine. (2011 census and 2001 census) Retrieved 27 February 2015.
- ^ "Surrey Wildlife Trust: Ash Ranges". Archived from the original on 3 September 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
- ^ Cranfield University National Soil Resources Institute
- ^ Defra – Air Retrieved 19 March 2015.
- ^ "Parishes: Ash ", in A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 3, ed. H E Malden (London, 1911), pp. 340–344 available online at British History – The University of Portsmouth and Others Accessed 14 March 2015.
- ^ Award for Mother Who Transformed Her Village Archived 24 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine; 18 October 2010 article; at Get Surrey News; retrieved 30 January 2013.
- ^ Ash Parish Council. "Ash Parish Maps- Local Interest". Ash, Surrey: Ash Parish Council. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012. (click on the red dot to see a photographe)
Further reading
- Jenkinson, Sally (1990). Ash and Ash Vale – A Pictorial History. Chichester: Phillimore. ISBN 0-85033-773-9.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Ash Parish Council
- v
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neighbourhoods
and hamlets
- Albury
- Artington
- Ash
- Ash Vale
- Burntcommon
- Burpham
- Chilworth
- Compton
- East Clandon
- East Horsley
- Effingham
- Fairlands
- Farley Green
- Gomshall
- Guildford
- Holmbury St Mary
- Jacobs Well
- Merrow
- Normandy
- Ockham
- Peaslake
- Pirbright
- Puttenham
- Ripley
- St Martha
- Seale
- Send
- Shackleford
- Shalford
- Shere
- Stoughton
- Tongham
- Wanborough
- West Clandon
- West Horsley
- Wisley
- Wood Street Village
- Worplesdon
![Borough of Guildford, Surrey, England](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/Guildford_UK_locator_map.svg/166px-Guildford_UK_locator_map.svg.png)
- Academy of Contemporary Music
- Ash Manor School
- Christ's College, Guildford
- George Abbot School
- Guildford College
- Guildford County School
- Guildford High School
- Guildford School of Acting
- Howard of Effingham School
- King's College, Guildford
- Knowl Hill School
- Merrist Wood College
- Ripley Court School
- Royal Grammar School
- St Peter's School
- Tormead School
- University of Law
- University of Surrey
- Ash railway station
- Ash Vale railway station
- Chilworth railway station
- Clandon railway station
- Effingham Junction railway station
- Gomshall railway station
- Guildford bus station
- Guildford railway station
- Horsley railway station
- London Road (Guildford) railway station
- Shalford railway station
- Tongham railway station
- Wanborough railway station
- Worplesdon railway station
- Abbot's Hospital
- Chilworth Manor
- Clandon Park House
- Electric Theatre
- G Live
- Guildford Castle
- Guildford Guildhall
- Guildford House
- Guildford Museum
- Guildford Spectrum
- Hogs Back Brewery
- Pirbright Institute
- Royal Surrey County Hospital
- Sports Ground, Woodbridge Road, Guildford
- The Undercroft
- Watts Gallery
- Wisley Airfield
- Yvonne Arnaud Theatre