CHURCH AND PARISH DEVELOPMENT

The first Anglican Church in North Town was a tin Mission Church and Church Room opened in 1880. It was located in North Lane opposite the Canning Road junction. The present St Augustine’s was built and dedicated on All Saints Day 1907 ( it was actually consecrated the following year. The present Church Hall followed in 1914 and the Vicarage in 1935. The original design of St Augustine’s by Sir Robert Jackson was truncated due to lack of funds and the church was completed in 1964 with the addition of the Sanctuary, Sacristy, Vestries and the East Window. Even this Church Completion Scheme was itself "truncated" however. A small Lady Chapel had been planned in the South East corner of the church but escalating costs ultimately precluded this very important requirement. St Augustine’s was a daughter church of St Michaels until it became a Conventional District under Father Roger Francis in 1944 and a separate Parish in 1958 under Father Garth Long. INDEX TO STREETS IN PARISH OF ST AUGUSTINE, NORTH TOWN Ainger Close Alma Close Ash Road Belle Vue Close Belle Vue Road Calvert Close Canning Road Clarence Close Clive Road Connaught Road Deadbrook Lane Denmark Square Denmark Street Eastern Road Eland Road Farm Road Field Way Friend Avenue Haig Road Highland Close Highland Road Holder Road Holly Bush Lane Holly Close Holly Road Institute Road Lower Newport Road. Mount Pleasant Road Northfield Close North Lane Newport Road Old Lane Pegasus Avenue Queen Street Redan Road Roberts Road St Augustine's Close Staff Road Wilson Road Windmill Road Wolfe Road NOTE In certain instances the Parish Boundary is defined as passing through "the middle" of particular roads in the "London Gazette" No 41299 of 31st Jan 1958. PARISH B0UNDARIES The Parish of St Augustine was "carved out" of the Parish of St Michael in 1958. The Eastern and Western are clearly defined by River, Canal or Railway lines. The Northern Boundary (Where it joins St Marks Farnborough ) is less well defined but since this area contains no buildings and is now part of the official Blackwater River Amenity Park Development Scheme it presents no immediate pastoral problems. The South and South East boundaries are far less logical and rather "messy". On the map attached I have marked in red on an up to date large scale and created a Parish Street index for use with it. I hope these will be helpful. Click here to view map HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND DEVELOPMENT. North Lane, around which the Hamlet of North Town developed, was never part of the original Aldershot Village. North Lane is, in fact, an old Drovers Route from the west Country to London. It linked the route from Ash and round the Fox Hills in the South to Bagshot Heath and on to London in the North hence "North" lane. With the establishment of Military Aldershot in the 1860's and 1870's North Town, being very close to the South East corner of it became a “back door" of it for civilian labour and was the scene of much speculative building of mean artisan dwellings along the farmlands of North Lane. Throughout the rest of the century and on until the First World War this development continued with a slightly higher standard of dwelling and on across the slopes of the great hill which divides Aldershot and North Town. The Inter War years saw little development of housing except the sale of the last arable farm the Park Farm, owned by the Chrismas Family, which was developed into the Park Farm Estate. The post-War years have seen the housing development move Eastwards with the sale of the pasture lands separating North Town from Ash to create the Denmark Square Complex and the slightly better quality housing towards the Basingstoke Canal and Ash together with some Light Industry along North Lane itself.