Farnborough
Farnborough is a town in north east Hampshire. Farnborough was founded in Saxon times and is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name is formed from Ferneberga which means “fern hill”. The town is probably best known for its association with aviation – Farnborough Airshow, Farnborough Aerodrome, Royal Aircraft Establishment and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.
Places of interest
Farnborough has two town centre shopping centres, Princes Mead and The Meads, home to a wide selection of shops including major retailers. Located between the A331 and the A325 on the north side of Farnborough is Farnborough gate retail park, which also has a number large retail outlets. On the edge of the town centre, is Farnborough leisure centre, which has a swimming pool, gym, indoor bowling, squash courts and ten pin bowling.
Farnborough has many primary and secondary schools. It also offers Farnborough Sixth Form College which draws in around 3,000 students aged 16–19 from the surrounding area and Farnborough College of Technology which is a further-education institution specialising in BTEC, A-level and vocational courses for students aged 16+.
The Farnborough International Air Show is a week-long event that combines a major trade exhibition for the aerospace and defence industries with a public air show. The event is held in mid-July in even-numbered years at Farnborough Airport.
Access
Farnborough is situated in north east Hampshire near the boundary with Surrey. The River Blackwater forms part of the boundary. It is located 34 miles south west of London and 16 miles east of Basingstoke, directly to the south of junction 4 of the M3. The town lies at the centre of the Blackwater Valley.
Farnborough has incorporated several sizeable villages as it has expanded, including North Camp. Farnborough’s suburban areas include Southwood, Cove, West Heath, Farnborough Park, Farnborough Street, North Camp, South Farnborough, Fox Lane, Hawley Lane, St. John’s, and St. Christopher’s.
Farnborough is near junctions 4 and 4a of the M3. The A325 enters the town from Frimley to the north and continues into Aldershot to the south. The A331 runs north to south along the east side of the town.
Farnborough is served by three railway stations, the busiest of which is Farnborough (Main) railway station on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo to Basingstoke and beyond. Farnborough North railway station and North Camp railway station are both on the North Downs Line between Reading and Gatwick.
