A brief history of Brickfields Country Park

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In the past

The first records concerning the area on which Brickfields Country Park now stands dates from about 1175 when the monks of Waverley Abbey were donated 31 acres of land for sheep grazing for which the rent in 1287[1] was 4s 3d. The area was roughly bounded by Church Lane, Church Road and Boxalls Lane. Another 29 acres to the east extending approximately to Highfield Avenue was rented by Margaret of Overscumbe.

For about 300 years the area was worked by one monk and seven clerics and after the Dissolution of the monasteries, it was bought by Robert White of Aldershot. The two areas were amalgamated into one farm of 60 acres administered by John Faunteleroy[2], one of Aldershot's main landowners, until the early 1600s.

About 1650, the Boxall family[3] came into possession of the land, but in 1703 Sarah Boxall was taken to court in London for non payment of taxes, as a result the area was broken up into smaller portions, of which Boxalls Farm was the largest.

More Recently

Soon after the Army's arrival in Aldershot either Boxall or Eggar dug the pit in what is now Brickfields Country Park to extract the clay used for bricks in many of the buildings of the rapidly expanding town. The Brickfields housing estate was the site of the brickworks and drying ovens, which were in use up until about 1938–40. After then the site lay unused except for brief periods as a concrete works and storage area, and then latterly as a refuse dump.

In 1983 a report suggesting the area be turned into a nature park was proposed and adopted by the council and work commenced. Over the next two years Rushmoor Borough Council and The Manpower Services Commission transformed what had become an eyesore into a unique recreational facility for the local community.

The pond was enlarged and reworked to take its water supply from a natural stream within the park and flood prevention measures were installed. This and other excavation and clearance work turned a tip into a treasure.

The park was opened on the 7th June 1985 by Councilor Colin Balchin, the Mayor of Rushmoor. It celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2015 with an anniversary Funday on the 5th July.

The Friends of Brickfields Country Park are trying to compile a comprehensive history of the park and the immediate area, we have some information already but we need more so if you have any information relating to the park, anecdotes (a lot of local residents used to play in the old brick diggings in their younger days), photographs, press cuttings Etc, then please let us know. photos and other documents will be returned. E-mail or telephone Mike at the number on the E-mail page.

We would like to hear from you.

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The Monks of Waverley from the 1287 schedule of the Crondall Hundred. [top]
John Faunteleroy also see him in The Crondall Hundred –
To the view of frank–pledge with the hundred and court of the manor there held on the 29 day of March, in the tenth year of the reign of Elizabeth, by the grace of God Queen of England, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c., came John Faunteleroy, who holds in like manner according to the custom of the said manor, a capital messuage, garden, orchard, and two virgates of land with appurtenances in Alrishott. [back] [top]
See our Names–Places page for a breakdown of the Boxall family. [back] [top]