ALDERSHOT (Hampshire)
Aldershot still retains some of its original Victorian buildings but some of those that remain are under threat from developers who want to ‘improve’ the town centre. Once a thriving town due to its large army garrison - the ‘Home of the British Army’ the town centre has been going downhill for some time –probably not helped by the reduction in the army presence.
It now looks like its lost the battle to other nearby larger and better shopping centres. The local paper recently carried out a survey on the street to gauge local opinion about the proposed demolition of three old buildings next to the Wellington Centre who want to expand (despite having a whole Mall full of empty shops which they can’t let).
I was approached for my thoughts on the loss of these buildings and my views appeared with others in last week’s Aldershot News & Mail. The general feeling from the respondents was that it would be a pity to lose anymore local heritage but there was a need for better shops and to improve the shopping facilities. In the case of these three buildings none of them are of any special architectural merit but they do contribute to the diversity of the streetscape, their loss will be one more step to the ‘clone high street’. Personally I consider that it would be a mistake and once they are gone they are gone.
FLEET (Hampshire)
A straight main street with no buildings of any architectural interest at all so the parish church comes as a surprise. A small gem by the flamboyant Victorian Gothic Architect William Burges. All Saints church built 1861-62 (West end lengthened 1934 by A.J.Stedman). Built in red brick with stone details, the interior brickwork and roof painted with geometric ornamental motifs (Burges used extensive painted decoration in most of his buildings such as Cardiff Castle).
Plain glass but interesting Nave windows with Chancel stained glass by Clayton & Bell, the Chancel is painted white and looks out of place it should be dark to match the Nave (I agree with the Pevsner guide on this). The tomb of the benefactor is worth looking at with two well figured stone dogs at his feet.
