Brookwood, Surrey

infobox UK place
country = England
official_name= Brookwood
map_type= Surrey
latitude= 51.3038
longitude= -0.6367
static_

static_image_caption=The Avenue leading from Brookwood Cemetery
population = 2,416
shire_district= Woking
shire_county = Surrey
region= South East England
constituency_westminster= Woking
post_town= Woking
postcode_district = GU24
postcode_area= GU
dial_code= 01483
os_grid_reference= SU952570

Brookwood is a village in Surrey, located about 5 km west of Woking, in a semi-rural location. It lies on the western border of the Woking Borough (with a small part of the village in Guildford Borough).

Across the railway to the south is the village of Pirbright and Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut is a short distance away to the west. Knaphill, and its Brookwood Manor, lie on the other side of the main A322 road. Nearby is the vast Brookwood Cemetery and Sheet's Heath, a heathland which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). There is also Smart's Heath and Brookwood Heath. Other close villages include Deepcut, Bisley, Worplesdon and West End. The site of the former Brookwood Hospital nearby has recently been redeveloped as housing.

The village borders the Basingstoke Canal which has a flight of locks here. Brookwood railway station is on the South Western Main Line (currently averaging 4 trains an hour each way). The junction with the Alton Line is about 2 km further west.

The main road is Connaught Road, a long road containing mixed Victorian terraces, Victorian/1930s/50s/70s semis Branching off are smaller cul-de-sacs with more modern houses, some which back onto the canal itself. There is a regular bus service to Guildford, Woking and Farnborough. Brookwood is on the approach pattern for small Farnborough airport.

Along Connaught Road there is a primary school which is 100 years old. [ [http://www.brookwood.surrey.sch.uk/ Brookwood Primary School] ]

History

The village has grown over the 150 or so years since the cemetery and station first set roots in this area. Many of London's dead were buried in Brookwood Cemetery during the Victorian era due to the over-population of the city at that time. The logistics were accomplished using funeral trains running from London Waterloo railway station to Brookwood and subsequently down a small branch line into the cemetery grounds. This branch-line is now disused. The main station and nearby pub are at least 100 years old.

It is possible that the village was founded in the Anglo-Saxon period, as the word Brook is derived from 'Brock'. 'Brock' being Old English for Badger, so in a literal sense the village of Brookwood translates to 'badger wood'. The badger can be seen on the village crest and on the school uniform. If the village does date back to this period of history, it would have been no where near the size it is now, probably just a collection of farmsteads among woodland, however this is speculation.

ee also

*Basingstoke Canal
*Brookwood Hospital
*St. Edward the Martyr Orthodox Church

References

External links

* [http://www.brookwood.org.uk Community website]
* [http://www.woking.gov.uk/council/planning/localplan/brookwood Woking Council]