Windlesham
Encyclopedia
Windlesham is a village in the Surrey Heath
district of Surrey
in South East England
. It is also the name of the parish
that covers Bagshot
and Lightwater
, in addition to Windlesham. Its name derives from the Windle Brook
which runs south of the village and 'ham', the Old English word for 'homestead'.
Windlesham was once, as most of the surrounding area was also, part of Windsor Great Park
and in its beginnings, a farming village. Today Windlesham is a community with many estates and various clubs. With easy access to the A30 (London Road), a few major motorways, Sunningdale
train station and Heathrow Airport, it can be classed as a commuter town
/village. It has one church, St John the Baptist, the Windlesham Club and Theatre and six pubs.
Some large companies are based in Windlesham, including Rainbow Play Systems
and the Linde Group
.
Famous residents include Brian May
(guitarist in English rock band Queen
), Glen Hoddle and Sarah, Duchess of York
. HM The Queen also lived in Windlesham at one time. Andrew Ridgeley
of Wham was born in the nursing home that used to be in Hatton Hill, Windlesham. Edward Baigent
was an early emigrant to Nelson
in New Zealand
and he was later elected to the Parliament of New Zealand
.
. The race normally starts at 10am at the old headquarters of The BOC Group
. Dedicated runners run to all the pubs in the village and finish in the centre at a pub called 'The Sun'.
is situated near the village but on the opposite side of the M3 motorway. In July 2007, the most expensive house in the world, Updown Court
, was situated in Windlesham and valued at £75m (138 m USD). This 103-room mansion has 58 acres (234,717.9 m²) of gardens and woodlands.
Surrey Heath
Surrey Heath is a local government district with Borough status in Surrey, England. Its Council is based in Camberley. Much of the area is within the Metropolitan Green Belt....
district of Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
in South East England
South East England
South East England is one of the nine official regions of England, designated in 1994 and adopted for statistical purposes in 1999. It consists of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
. It is also the name of the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
that covers Bagshot
Bagshot, Surrey
Bagshot is a small town in southeastern England. It is situated in the northwest corner of Surrey within the county's Surrey Heath council district, close to the border with Berkshire, and is also in the diocese of Guildford. In the past Bagshot served as an important staging post between London,...
and Lightwater
Lightwater
Lightwater is a village in the Surrey Heath district of Surrey, England about to the south-west of London. Immediately surrounding towns and villages include Bagshot, Deepcut, Windlesham, Camberley, and West End. The village is bounded to the north west by the M3 and to the north east by the...
, in addition to Windlesham. Its name derives from the Windle Brook
Windle Brook
The Windle Brook is a small river running through the borough of Surrey Heath in Surrey, England. Its source is to the west of Chobham. The brook runs north of Chobham and through Windlesham, providing the latter with its name. It then flows south of Windlesham, before it flows through Bagshot, and...
which runs south of the village and 'ham', the Old English word for 'homestead'.
Windlesham was once, as most of the surrounding area was also, part of Windsor Great Park
Windsor Great Park
Windsor Great Park is a large deer park of , to the south of the town of Windsor on the border of Berkshire and Surrey in England. The park was, for many centuries, the private hunting ground of Windsor Castle and dates primarily from the mid-13th century...
and in its beginnings, a farming village. Today Windlesham is a community with many estates and various clubs. With easy access to the A30 (London Road), a few major motorways, Sunningdale
Sunningdale
Sunningdale is a large village and civil parish in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England.-Location:Sunningdale is located close to the present border with Surrey, and is not far from Ascot, Sunninghill and Virginia Water. It is situated 24 miles west of London and 7...
train station and Heathrow Airport, it can be classed as a commuter town
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
/village. It has one church, St John the Baptist, the Windlesham Club and Theatre and six pubs.
Some large companies are based in Windlesham, including Rainbow Play Systems
Rainbow Play Systems
Rainbow Play Systems is a manufacturer of children's play equipment which are available through a network of retail outlets throughout the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Mexico, Spain, Panama and Italy....
and the Linde Group
The Linde Group
The Linde Group, registered as Linde AG is an international industrial gases and engineering company founded in Germany in 1879. Linde shares are traded on all the German stock exchanges and also in Zürich, and the Linde share price is included in the DAX 30 index...
.
Famous residents include Brian May
Brian May
Brian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
(guitarist in English rock band Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
), Glen Hoddle and Sarah, Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York is a British charity patron, spokesperson, writer, film producer, television personality and former member of the British Royal Family. She is the former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, whom she married from 1986 to 1996...
. HM The Queen also lived in Windlesham at one time. Andrew Ridgeley
Andrew Ridgeley
Andrew John Ridgeley is an English former pop singer-songwriter, guitarist and environmentalist. Andrew was a member of the 1980s pop music duo Wham!.-Early life:...
of Wham was born in the nursing home that used to be in Hatton Hill, Windlesham. Edward Baigent
Edward Baigent
Edward Baigent was a 19th century Member of Parliament from Nelson, New Zealand. He was one of the most successful saw-millers of the region, and his company existed for well over 100 years.-Family:...
was an early emigrant to Nelson
Nelson, New Zealand
Nelson is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson-Tasman region. Established in 1841, it is the second oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island....
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and he was later elected to the Parliament of New Zealand
Parliament of New Zealand
The Parliament of New Zealand consists of the Queen of New Zealand and the New Zealand House of Representatives and, until 1951, the New Zealand Legislative Council. The House of Representatives is often referred to as "Parliament".The House of Representatives usually consists of 120 Members of...
.
Local Schools
There are four schools in the Windlesham area, two of which are in the village itself: Valley End First School and Windlesham First School. Woodcote House School is also in the area.Field of Remembrance
The village field is home to one of the local recreational parks and includes a play area. Many village events take place on the field, one of the most well known being the Windlesham Fête. The field is also used in the summer months by Windlesham Cricket Club. It also hosts a remembrance day service, where a boy from Woodcote House plays the last post.Pram Race
Windlesham is known for its annual pram race in which teams race around the village and drink at every pub. This usually happens every Boxing DayBoxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
. The race normally starts at 10am at the old headquarters of The BOC Group
The BOC Group
The BOC Group plc was the official name of the multinational industrial gas and British based company more commonly known as BOC, and now a part of The Linde Group. In September 2004, BOC had over 30,000 employees on six continents, with sales of over £4.6 billion. BOC was a constituent of the...
. Dedicated runners run to all the pubs in the village and finish in the centre at a pub called 'The Sun'.
The Arboretum and the mansion of Updown Court
Windlesham ArboretumWindlesham Arboretum
Windlesham Arboretum is situated between the villages of Windlesham and Lightwater in the county of Surrey, UK. The arboretum is medium in size and features over 22,000 mature and rare trees, lakes, monuments, follies and a chapel...
is situated near the village but on the opposite side of the M3 motorway. In July 2007, the most expensive house in the world, Updown Court
Updown Court
Updown Court is a Californian style residence situated in the village of Windlesham in Surrey, England. The 103-room mansion has of landscaped gardens and private woodland. It was, in 2006, the most expensive private home on the market anywhere in the world. It was listed with Savills and...
, was situated in Windlesham and valued at £75m (138 m USD). This 103-room mansion has 58 acres (234,717.9 m²) of gardens and woodlands.