Wellesley Woodlands
- Free parking (1.9m height restrictions at some of the car parks)
- Bins
- Benches
- Surfaced paths including a 1km easy-access trail
- Extensive woodlands with network of waymarked routes
- Incorporating a long stretch of the Basingstoke Canal towpath
- Walks of various length, with longer routes of 10km or more possible
Where you’ll find it…
This is huge place, with several free car parks in the Aldershot area:
Bourley Road, nearest postcode GU11 1PT. Grid reference SU 85615 51455.
Fleet Road, nearest postcode GU11 2HL. Grid reference SU 85153 52468.
Laffan’s Road, nearest postcode GU11 2HJ. Grid reference SU 86190 52327.
Camp Farm Road, nearest postcode GU11 2PF. Grid reference SU 87902 52248.
What you’ll find there…
Wellesley Woodlands
Wellesley Woodlands is a fantastic new greenspace for the Wellesley development in Aldershot. Once a military training area, the woodlands have been transformed by the Land Trust, Grainger plc and the Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership into an inviting public space. Take a look at the dedicated Wellesley Woodlands website for a detailed map showing all the trails and car parks. There’s a lot to explore, including Duke’s Wood, Lake and Canal Side, Heather Hill and Thorn Hill. Each with its own distinct character.
The whole area is open to the public, for everyone to enjoy. There are well surfaced paths suitable for walkers, runners, cyclists, wheelchairs and buggies. And a wheelchair-friendly footpath, spanning more than 1km, laid out along the Basingstoke Canal from the Laffan’s Road car park.
Sir Arthur Wellesley
So why Wellesley? The woodlands and the development are named after Arthur Wellesley, better known as the 1st Duke of Wellington. He of Battle of Waterloo fame, the Iron Duke himself. A leading military figure with a string of victories to his name, he also served as Prime Minister and was Commander in Chief of the British Army. An appropriate choice then for Aldershot, Home of the British Army.
A colossal statue of Arthur Wellesley, mounted on his faithful charger Copenhagen, stands on Round Hill in Aldershot, just off the A325 Farnborough Road, next to the Claycart Road car park.
Gallery…
If you’d like to contribute to this gallery, we’d love to hear from you. Please send us your pictures via Facebook, Twitter or email.
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- Enjoying Wellesley Woodlands kindly sent in by Alan Barwick
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- Enjoying Wellesley Woodlands kindly sent in by Alan Barwick
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- Firing wall at Wellesley Woodlands kindly sent in by Alan Barwick
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- Waymarker at Wellesley Woodlands kindly sent in by Alan Barwick
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- Enjoying Wellesley Woodlands (c) Andy McKenna
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- Enjoying Wellesley Woodlands (c) Andy McKenna
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- Chalk Farm Lake, Wellesley Woodlands (c) Andy McKenna
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- Wellesley Woodlands (c) Andy McKenna
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- Basingstoke Canal, Wellesley Woodlands
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- Wellesley Woodlands
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- Fishing lake off Camp Farm Road, Wellesley Woodlands
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- Red paint marking route of historic assault course at Wellesley Woodlands
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- Open space at Wellesley Woodlands
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- Wellesley Woodlands
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- Wellesley Woodlands
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- Wellesley Woodlands
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- Historic firing wall at Wellesley Woodlands
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- Milestone on the Basingstoke Canal, Wellesley Woodlands
