Anyone know Farnborough...?
Discussion
If you mean Hampshire, I've lived there for 7 years now.
The best areas (IMHO) are in the Empress area (Pierrefondes Avenue, Empress Avenue), basically the bit north of the train station to the east of Prospect Avenue. Best and most expensive, with easy walking to the station if you plan to commute to the city (35-40 minutes to Waterloo).
Southwood is meant to be quite nice, but its a bit new-estatey. Farnborough North has some really nice old houses. Watch out for the airport filght path as well - Farnborough road/Alexander road, east of the Airport. Looks nice, but can be noisy.
Avoid anywhere that looks bad - the bad areas look like they're bad (such as totlands - packed with flat roof delapidated houses, cost cutter etc).
The town centre itself is rubbish, but is being done up. Berlon in North Camp is an excellent cocktail bar
The best areas (IMHO) are in the Empress area (Pierrefondes Avenue, Empress Avenue), basically the bit north of the train station to the east of Prospect Avenue. Best and most expensive, with easy walking to the station if you plan to commute to the city (35-40 minutes to Waterloo).
Southwood is meant to be quite nice, but its a bit new-estatey. Farnborough North has some really nice old houses. Watch out for the airport filght path as well - Farnborough road/Alexander road, east of the Airport. Looks nice, but can be noisy.
Avoid anywhere that looks bad - the bad areas look like they're bad (such as totlands - packed with flat roof delapidated houses, cost cutter etc).
The town centre itself is rubbish, but is being done up. Berlon in North Camp is an excellent cocktail bar
Southwood is OK, if you like estates.
Don't consider Cove.
Farnborough north area has nice red-bricks, but you'll be near the fligh path. North Camp is like it's own little town, again nice victorian/edwardian properties.
If you're thinking of farnborough i'd look a little further afield too.
Don't consider Cove.
Farnborough north area has nice red-bricks, but you'll be near the fligh path. North Camp is like it's own little town, again nice victorian/edwardian properties.
If you're thinking of farnborough i'd look a little further afield too.
It really depends what you are looking for.
It's cheaper than many surrounding areas, which can be a big plus point... but you really need get a feel for it before buying. It is very sprawling, it has a very dated 'centre' which isn't a town central point as most towns would have.
It has many estates and lots of social housing but there are a few pockets of very nice villages within a couple of miles.... do your homework.
As has been said avoid Cove and the Aldershot side. South Farnborough (behind North Camp between the A331 and Farnborough) is really nice but again, there is no community feel to anywhere around there - it's really very odd.
If you're relying on getting to places like Guildford & Farnham for entertainment you need to be aware that even though they are close geographically, the public transport is dire, North Camp station is not mainline, neither is Farnborough (which does not serve Guildford either, it serves Woking) and the trains to Guildford do not run late or frequently enough to provide a good link for nights out. You wouldn't want to go out in Woking either. Trust me.
It's cheaper than many surrounding areas, which can be a big plus point... but you really need get a feel for it before buying. It is very sprawling, it has a very dated 'centre' which isn't a town central point as most towns would have.
It has many estates and lots of social housing but there are a few pockets of very nice villages within a couple of miles.... do your homework.
As has been said avoid Cove and the Aldershot side. South Farnborough (behind North Camp between the A331 and Farnborough) is really nice but again, there is no community feel to anywhere around there - it's really very odd.
If you're relying on getting to places like Guildford & Farnham for entertainment you need to be aware that even though they are close geographically, the public transport is dire, North Camp station is not mainline, neither is Farnborough (which does not serve Guildford either, it serves Woking) and the trains to Guildford do not run late or frequently enough to provide a good link for nights out. You wouldn't want to go out in Woking either. Trust me.
Edited by parakitaMol. on Wednesday 13th May 10:01
Parts of Cove are not too bad. I live in the end very close to the Pierrefondes, Empress area mentioned above (60 seconds walk). The problem is that Cove impinges on the Totland/Prospect Estate area so making sure you are at the right end of Cove is important.
I would also look at some of the smaller estates off Trunk Road. Quite secluded and cut off.
It is a very built up area so you need to get familiar with the geography of the place before making any firm decisions.
Where do you live at the moment?
North Camp station may not be mainline (i.e. doesn't run to London) but there are direct links to Reading, Guildford and Gatwick Airport. Farnborough Main station has frequent trains to Waterloo, Basingstoke, Portsmouth and Southampton.
Junctions 4 and 4A provide easy access to the M3 motorway (probably Farnborough's main plus point).
And, of course, you get a free airshow every second July
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I would also look at some of the smaller estates off Trunk Road. Quite secluded and cut off.
It is a very built up area so you need to get familiar with the geography of the place before making any firm decisions.
Where do you live at the moment?
North Camp station may not be mainline (i.e. doesn't run to London) but there are direct links to Reading, Guildford and Gatwick Airport. Farnborough Main station has frequent trains to Waterloo, Basingstoke, Portsmouth and Southampton.
Junctions 4 and 4A provide easy access to the M3 motorway (probably Farnborough's main plus point).
And, of course, you get a free airshow every second July
. Edited by Eric Mc on Wednesday 13th May 09:57
fleetelise said:
Oh, and the town centre is being completely renovated.
They have been saying that since I was working there in 2000/1. Is it actually happening now?It has no soul, it has no 'buzz' I am not sure a redevelopment could rectify that. I would urge the OP to visit on different days of the week, especially Friday nights and Saturdays to get the measure of the place. It's like the Twilight Zone.
Yes, the redevelopment is well underway. I think that they may have trouble filling the units once they are completed however, especially in the current economic climate. The town centre might go from being a dilapidated run down ghost town to being a brand spanking new and modern ghost town.
(I can hear The Specials in my head even as I speak).
(I can hear The Specials in my head even as I speak).
Edited by Eric Mc on Wednesday 13th May 10:50
Eric Mc said:
Yes, the redevelopment is well underway. I think that they may have trouble filling the units once they are completed however, especially in the current economic climate. The town centre might go from being a dilapidated run down ghost town to being a brand spanking new and modern ghost town.
(I can hear The Specials in my head even as I speak).
I'm working just up the road in Camberley, it's also been redeveloped and a large % of that is empty, the shopping centre and town has numerous empty units - it appears almost apocalyptically deserted, although it has more restaurants bars and clubs than Farnboghorror used to. (I can hear The Specials in my head even as I speak).
There are the odd nice bits to Farborough but it's disjointed, I can't really explain, it doesn't have a heart.
It's because it isn't a genuine "town". "Old Farnborough" is almost a forgotten area (it's the part near Farnborough North train station). North Camp wasn't originally part of Farnborough at all. Its name derives from it being the North Camp area of Aldershot.
Cove was a separate village in its own right.
The rapid growth of Farnborough as a "town" or connurbation dates to the opening up of the Royal Aircraft Factory in 1912 and the transformation of this to the Royal Aircraft Establishment in 1919.
Once the RAF/RAE was up and running, there was an urgent requirement to house the influx of workers required on the site. Since many of these workers were scientists and engineers, the housing built was often of pretty good qulaity. The Technical College was also set up around this time to train apprentices for the RAE. That is why we have the fairly highly regarded Farnborough College near the old gates of the RAE. Farnborough's 6th Form College is also highly regarded and does very well in national league tables.
Up until the early 1960s, Farnborough had no real shopping centre at all. There were some shops along Victoria Road heading into Cove but the main shops were over in North Camp.
In the 1960s, the new outdoor Queens Mead centre was developed. In the 70s, the indoor Kings Mead was added and in the early 1990 Princes Mead arrived. Queens Mead?Kings Mead is the area which is being redeveloped at the moment having been in decline since the mid 1990s - partly down to the policies of the site owners.
Farnborough continued to expand right up to the present day. The existence of the RAE (now QinetiQ) has meant that lots of defence or hi-tech related private businesses have located themselves in and around Farnborough and the surrounding area.
Cove was a separate village in its own right.
The rapid growth of Farnborough as a "town" or connurbation dates to the opening up of the Royal Aircraft Factory in 1912 and the transformation of this to the Royal Aircraft Establishment in 1919.
Once the RAF/RAE was up and running, there was an urgent requirement to house the influx of workers required on the site. Since many of these workers were scientists and engineers, the housing built was often of pretty good qulaity. The Technical College was also set up around this time to train apprentices for the RAE. That is why we have the fairly highly regarded Farnborough College near the old gates of the RAE. Farnborough's 6th Form College is also highly regarded and does very well in national league tables.
Up until the early 1960s, Farnborough had no real shopping centre at all. There were some shops along Victoria Road heading into Cove but the main shops were over in North Camp.
In the 1960s, the new outdoor Queens Mead centre was developed. In the 70s, the indoor Kings Mead was added and in the early 1990 Princes Mead arrived. Queens Mead?Kings Mead is the area which is being redeveloped at the moment having been in decline since the mid 1990s - partly down to the policies of the site owners.
Farnborough continued to expand right up to the present day. The existence of the RAE (now QinetiQ) has meant that lots of defence or hi-tech related private businesses have located themselves in and around Farnborough and the surrounding area.
Do they still have the market Eric? in the car park where Invincible Road ends (near Prince's Mead). I remember when it was all fields you know 
I used to walk to Queensmead with my mum along Invincible Rd., only it was a railway line then, with a bright green steam train going up and down it
I used to walk to Queensmead with my mum along Invincible Rd., only it was a railway line then, with a bright green steam train going up and down it We moved here (Southwood Road) a couple of weeks ago. Before this we lived in Woking.
Access to London is fine from Farnborough Main and access to Guildford / Reading is pretty good from Farnborough North. Access to the motorways is pretty good too.
However the bit that clinched it for us are the type of properties availabe and the price. We picked up a 3 bed semi with a 100ft garden for the same price as a 2 bed terraced with a postage stamp garden would have cost on Goldworth Park.
We did spend a good 3 months regularly visiting the area though and looked at around 20 houses in various locations within a miles radius of Farnborough Main. As has been siad the feeling varies dramatically.
The only bit I felt a bit uncomfortable in was the part with the flat roofed houses.
If you have any specific questions just ask.
Oh, almost forgot, the best pub is the Prince of Wales on rectory road near Farnborough North.
Phill
Access to London is fine from Farnborough Main and access to Guildford / Reading is pretty good from Farnborough North. Access to the motorways is pretty good too.
However the bit that clinched it for us are the type of properties availabe and the price. We picked up a 3 bed semi with a 100ft garden for the same price as a 2 bed terraced with a postage stamp garden would have cost on Goldworth Park.
We did spend a good 3 months regularly visiting the area though and looked at around 20 houses in various locations within a miles radius of Farnborough Main. As has been siad the feeling varies dramatically.
The only bit I felt a bit uncomfortable in was the part with the flat roofed houses.
If you have any specific questions just ask.
Oh, almost forgot, the best pub is the Prince of Wales on rectory road near Farnborough North.
Phill
hadenough! said:
We moved here (Southwood Road) a couple of weeks ago. Before this we lived in Woking.
Access to London is fine from Farnborough Main and access to Guildford / Reading is pretty good from Farnborough North. Access to the motorways is pretty good too.
However the bit that clinched it for us are the type of properties availabe and the price. We picked up a 3 bed semi with a 100ft garden for the same price as a 2 bed terraced with a postage stamp garden would have cost on Goldworth Park.
We did spend a good 3 months regularly visiting the area though and looked at around 20 houses in various locations within a miles radius of Farnborough Main. As has been siad the feeling varies dramatically.
The only bit I felt a bit uncomfortable in was the part with the flat roofed houses.
If you have any specific questions just ask.
Oh, almost forgot, the best pub is the Prince of Wales on rectory road near Farnborough North.
Phill
Prince of Wales is good - decent real ales.Access to London is fine from Farnborough Main and access to Guildford / Reading is pretty good from Farnborough North. Access to the motorways is pretty good too.
However the bit that clinched it for us are the type of properties availabe and the price. We picked up a 3 bed semi with a 100ft garden for the same price as a 2 bed terraced with a postage stamp garden would have cost on Goldworth Park.
We did spend a good 3 months regularly visiting the area though and looked at around 20 houses in various locations within a miles radius of Farnborough Main. As has been siad the feeling varies dramatically.
The only bit I felt a bit uncomfortable in was the part with the flat roofed houses.
If you have any specific questions just ask.
Oh, almost forgot, the best pub is the Prince of Wales on rectory road near Farnborough North.
Phill
Farnborough is, on the whole, rubbish for pubs. I live very close to The Thatched Cottage - which isn't too bad.
Eric Mc said:
Prince of Wales is good - decent real ales.
Farnborough is, on the whole, rubbish for pubs. I live very close to The Thatched Cottage - which isn't too bad.
We popped in there for a sarnie at one point while looking and it was OK.Farnborough is, on the whole, rubbish for pubs. I live very close to The Thatched Cottage - which isn't too bad.
We looked at the house on Cabrol Road with the Alfa on the drive and drag car in the garage.
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