Tuesday, 18 January 2011

Yateley

Country	England
Latitude	51.33333
Longitude	-0.83871
Official name	Yateley
Population	22,000
Civil parish	[Yateley]
Shire district	Hart
Shire county	Hampshire
Region	South East England
Constituency westminster	North East Hampshire
Post town	YATELEY
Postcode district	GU46, GU17 (part)
Postcode area	GU
Dial code	01252 01276 (part)
Os grid reference	SU8160
Ambulance service	South East Coast

Yateley is a suburban town and civil parish in the English county of Hampshire. It lies in the north-eastern corner of Hart District Council. It includes the settlements of Frogmore and Darby Green. Yateley Town Council is one of the few local councils to have been recognised under the national 'Quality Council' award scheme.

Location

Yateley is a relatively affluent town. Approximately 75% of residents are in the ABC1 social class category. It had a population of approx. 22,000 according to the 2007 census. Yateley's northern border is the River Blackwater around the Yateley Lakes (including Trilakes Country Park which is actually in the neighbouring parish of Sandhurst in Berkshire). Its southern border is the A30 national route, lined by Yateley Common and Blackbushe Airport. It lies some 35 miles (56 km) west-south-west of London and 15 miles (24 km) south of Reading.

Amenities

Yateley is a residential area with local businesses and light service industries. The B3272 Reading Road acts as the town's main business link, with numerous shops and other businesses located along this road. The area around St Peter's church, the Dog & Partridge public house and the village green is still referred to as 'the village'. Yateley Green is a larger open area slightly to the west where there are tennis courts, a playground, Town Council offices and 'The Tythings' community hall and is the location for the annual May Fayre, one of the largest events of its kind in southern England. Yateley Cricket Club is situated adjacent to the Blackwater Valley golf course, off Chandlers Lane. There are several traditional public houses, besides the Dog & Partridge: the White Lion, the Royal Oak, the Cricketers, the Anchor and The Highwayman (formerly Poets' Corner, formerly the Monteagle Arms, formerly The Lanes).

For a town harbouring in excess of 20,000 residents, Yateley has relatively few amenities due to its proximity to several larger population centres such as Farnborough, Camberley, Bracknell and Reading. Therefore Yateley town centre is somewhat underdeveloped relative to the needs of its population and resembles the centre of a large village rather than a sizeable commuter town. The town still retains its village hall which lies a short walk from the village centre close to the heart of the Yateley Conservation Area.

Transport

Yateley is a mainly commuter town with excellent private car links to London, Reading, Aldershot and Guildford with a slowly improving standard of public transport but with no direct link to London. It also contains within its boundaries the Blackbushe Airport complex, which caters for leisure flights, flying lessons and small business flight operations. The complex also contains a thriving car auction, a go-kart track, parts of an abandoned World War II airfield, i.e. those parts of RAF Hartfordbridge that are not now part of Blackbushe Airport, and is the venue for the popular Blackbushe Sunday Market. It also has several bus routes such as the 3 ( Stagecoach Group ) and the 71, 81 and 82 ( Fleet Buzz ).

Football Team(s)

Yateley Town FC - Yateley TFC is a club established in 1967. They have 13 teams from U6s to U18s. Darby Green and Potley FC - Darby Green FC and Potley Hill FC merged with each other in 2010 due to lack of players.

History

The name Yateley derives from the Middle English 'Yate' meaning 'Gate' (into Windsor Forest) and 'Lea' which was a 'forest clearing'. The town's logo is a three-barred gate with the keys of Saint Peter (the church dedication) and the Tudor rose of Hampshire. The parish was originally much larger, covering both Blackwater and Hawley.

Yateley Hall in the town dates from the 13th century, but the town itself was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. In the early 17th century, Monteagle Farm was one of the minor properties of the 'discoverer' of the Gunpowder Plot, Lord Monteagle. A tradition has grown up that some of the first plans for the plot were put together there, but this is highly unlikely. However, roads of the residential area around Monteagle Lane have been named after some of the conspirators in memory of the connection.

Through the next few centuries, Yateley developed into a coaching-hub between London and Reading. Local legend has it that the curate of Yateley, named Parson Darby, was a highwayman who used the Reading Road as his main stamping ground. Darby Green where he was hanged is named after him.

In the media

Flora Thompson, author of the recently televised period drama 'Lark Rise to Candleford' is recorded in the 1901 Census as living and working in the Yateley Post Office.

In the hit British TV mockumentary The Office, lead character David Brent explains to the audience "When I’m finished with Slough there’s… Reading, Aldershot, Bracknell, you know. I’ve got Didcot, Yateley…". There is a medium-sized business park located near Blackbushe Airport which has all the hallmarks of Slough's business estate.

The Dog and Partridge public house in Yateley used to be the official headquarters of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party. Its one-time feline leader, Catmandu, was tragically run over on Reading Road.

Brendan Phipps, a renowned musician and keyboardist for top Madness Tribute band "One Step Behind" grew up in Yateley.

In the Test the Nation programme on English and spelling broadcast on BBC television, the overall winner from the Internet was a man from Yateley. However, the programme spelt the name of the town, "Yately".

A number of members of the 1980s band, Breathe, were from Yateley and attended Yateley School. Richard "Abs" Breen, from the boyband, 5ive, also went to Yateley School, as did Terry Abbot, lead vocalist/guitarist from (the now split) band Vex Red and currently in Septembre. Richie Mills, drummer with now split indie noise-merchants CABLE grew up in Yateley, and attended Yateley School between 1983-1988.

Contemporary artist James Robert Ford grew up in Yateley and attended Yateley School. A number of his projects, including House Gymnastics, General Carbuncle and 33 things to do before you're 10, have taken place in Yateley.

Bromheads Jacket band lead singer Tim Hampton grew up in Yateley and attended Yateley School. The video for 'Lesley Parlafitt' was filmed in a Yateley pub. Track number 13 on album Dits from the Commuter Belt is called 'Hazy In Yateley'.

Luci Anscombe Author of Mind Games attended Yateley School from 1979 - 1984. A former Broadcast Journalist for Radio Maldwyn in Montgomeryshire, Mid Wales, she now works freelance for Capital Radio. She has interviewed many major celebrities and leading politicians including former PM Tony Blair, as well as HRH Prince of Wales.

Sean Devereux, a charity worker in Somalia came from Yateley. He was assassinated for speaking out against national oppression and Sean Devereux Park is named after him.

The body of missing school girl Amanda Dowler was found in woodland close by on 18 September 2002

David Copeland, known as the "London nailbomber" after a 13-day bombing campaign in April 1999 aimed at London's black, Asian, and gay communities, grew up in Yateley, though resided in Cove near Farnborough at the time of the attack.

Chris Benham, a Hampshire cricketer, grew up in Yateley and attended Yateley School.

Author Danny King grew up in Yateley and attended Yateley School.

Education

Yateley School in School Lane and Frogmore Community College on the Reading Road are both comprehensive secondary schools. They also both have leisure centres, and Yateley School has a 6th Form.

Following the closure and amalgamation of St Peter's Church of England Junior School and Yateley Infant School a new Primary School opened in September 2010, Cranford Park C of E Primary School which caters for around 200 students, the new school will move into state of the art facilities on Cranford Park Drive in September 2011.

Other schools in Yateley are Westfields Infant and Junior Schools in School Lane for around a total of 630 students. Potley Hill Primary School, located next to Frogmore Community College, caters for 200 students and Newlands Primary School, in Dungells Lane, caters for around 200.

Yateley Manor School is an independent school catering for around 500 pupils aged 3 to 13. The majority of pupils from Yateley go on to Lord Wandsworth College, Wellington College, Berkshire and Farnborough Hill. The school is renowned for good sports results. The school is a very active supporter of chess and strongly recognizes the benefits of chess in the curriculum. It has just (2008) become the new sponsor of the National Schools Chess Championships .

The nearest university is the University of Reading, its Whiteknights campus lying 14 miles to the northeast of Yateley.

References

External links

h2g2 Yateley Edited Guide Entry

The latest news from Yateley

Find a home in Yateley

Find a job in Yateley

St Swithun's Catholic Church, Yateley

Category:Towns in Hampshire

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