Camberley, England: travel guide to the Surrey town and the home of Sandhurst

Camberley is a town in north-west Surrey, in southern England, set in the Borough of Surrey Heath close to the borders with Hampshire and Berkshire, about 29 miles (47 kilometres) south-west of central London. With around 37,000 inhabitants it is the largest town in Surrey Heath and is closely associated with the famous Royal Military Academy Sandhurst nearby.

For travellers searching for Camberley Surrey, Sandhurst, Surrey Heath or towns near London, it offers heathland scenery, a lively centre and a strong military heritage.

History

Until the 19th century this was a sparsely populated stretch of heath. The town owes its existence to the building of the Royal Military College, later the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, in 1812, around which a settlement called Yorktown grew up; the Staff College followed to the east in 1862, and a new district known as Cambridge Town was laid out nearby. The General Post Office renamed it Camberley in 1877, a name thought to come from "Camber's Ley." The arrival of the railway spurred further growth through the Victorian era.

Things to see

The ceremonial main gate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where British Army officers have trained for two centuries, stands on the London Road in Camberley, and the academy's history pervades the area. In the town itself the Victorian St Michael's Church and the Surrey Heath Museum recall its origins, while the surrounding Surrey heathland offers good walking and cycling.

Practical information

Camberley lies about 29 miles (47 kilometres) south-west of London, with good road links via the M3 and regular trains to the capital. It is close to the military town of Aldershot and to Farnborough, famous for its air show, making it a convenient base in this corner of Surrey.