Frimley is a town in the Borough of

Surrey Heath Surrey Heath is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district with borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Surrey, England. Its council is based in Camberley. Much of the area is within the Metropolitan Green Belt. The ...

, in

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

, England. It lies approximately south-west of

central London Central London is the innermost part of London, in England, spanning the City of London and several boroughs. Over time, a number of definitions have been used to define the scope of Central London for statistics, urban planning and local gove ...

. The town is of

Saxon The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...

origin, although it is not listed in

Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

of 1086.

History

The name ''Frimley'' is derived from the

name ''Fremma's Lea'', which means "Fremma's clearing". The land was owned by

Chertsey Abbey Chertsey Abbey, dedicated to St Peter, was a Benedictine monastery located at Chertsey in the English county of Surrey. It was founded in 666 AD by Saint Erkenwald who was the first abbot, and from 675 AD the Bishop of London. At the same ti ...

from 673 to 1537 and was a farming village. More recently, it was a coach stop on a road between London and

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

and

Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...

for about four hundred years. Frimley was not listed in

of 1086, but is shown on the map as ''Fremely'', its spelling in 933 AD. Frimley

Lunatic Asylum The lunatic asylum, insane asylum or mental asylum was an institution where people with mental illness were confined. It was an early precursor of the modern psychiatric hospital. Modern psychiatric hospitals evolved from and eventually replace ...

was opened in 1799; it catered for both male and female patients, and received four patients from Great Fosters,

Egham Egham ( ) is a town in the Borough of Runnymede in Surrey, England, approximately west of central London. First settled in the Bronze Age, the town was under the control of Chertsey Abbey for much of the Middle Ages. In 1215, Magna Carta was ...

. Magistrates visited in 1807 and ordered the proprietors to stop chaining the patients. An 1811 inventory from Frimley

Workhouse In Britain and Ireland, a workhouse (, lit. "poor-house") was a total institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. In Scotland, they were usually known as Scottish poorhouse, poorh ...

can be seen on the Surrey County Council website. The present St. Peter's Church was built in 1826, replacing earlier buildings. The building has a balcony running around three sides of the interior. Dame Ethel Smyth once preached from the pulpit. In 1904, the Brompton Hospital

Sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, is a historic name for a specialised hospital for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments, and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often in a health ...

was established in Frimley to treat

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

patients; it closed in 1985. Dr Marcus Sinclair Paterson (1870–1932) was the first medical superintendent, and he developed a system of treatment called 'graduated labour' which generated a lot of interest from other health professionals. The treatment used controlled levels of physical activity. In 1930, Marjorie Foster became the first woman to win the Sovereign's Prize for shooting. She received £250, a gold medal and a personal telegram from the King. She was carried in a chair by the spectators while she was filmed by Pathe News. She was returned to Frimley on their fire engine and toured the village. Frimley gave her a car paid for by public subscription. In 1931, the staff at Frimley Cottage Hospital were unable to save the life of Lieutenant

Hubert Chevis Hubert George "Hugh" Chevis (21 September 1902 – 21 June 1931) was a lieutenant in the Royal Artillery of the British Army who died of strychnine poisoning in June 1931 after eating contaminated partridge. The youngest son of Sir William and ...

, who had been admitted, along with his wife Frances, after eating poisoned partridge meat. He died of

strychnine Strychnine (, , American English, US chiefly ) is a highly toxicity, toxic, colorless, bitter, crystalline alkaloid used as a pesticide, particularly for killing small vertebrates such as birds and rodents. Strychnine, when inhaled, swallowed, ...

poisoning. The case remains an unsolved murder mystery. On 2 December 1958, a Hunting-Clan Vickers Viscount 732 (registration G-ANRR) crashed on a test flight following a major overhaul. While flying at 10 minutes after takeoff from London Airport, the aircraft lost its

starboard Port and starboard are Glossary of nautical terms (M-Z), nautical terms for watercraft and spacecraft, referring respectively to the left and right sides of the vessel, when aboard and facing the Bow (watercraft), bow (front). Vessels with bil ...

wing. This caused the aircraft to crash near the village and catch fire, killing all six occupants. Accident investigators established the reverse operation of the

elevator An elevator (American English) or lift (Commonwealth English) is a machine that vertically transports people or freight between levels. They are typically powered by electric motors that drive traction cables and counterweight systems suc ...

spring tab as the probable cause. Incorrect maintenance of the spring tab mechanism and failure to notice the tab's faulty operation as a result of negligence on the part of maintenance personnel, who were responsible for inspecting the aircraft before returning it to service, involved the pilot in command in involuntary manoeuvres that overstressed the aircraft. This in turn resulted in the aircraft's right wing breaking off. In 1959, the Cadet Training Centre at Frimley Park was formed following the 1957 publication of the Amery Report.

Amenities

The main shopping street includes a branch of

Waitrose Waitrose Limited, trading as Waitrose & Partners, is a British supermarket chain, founded in 1904 as Waite, Rose & Taylor, later shortened to Waitrose. In 1937, it was acquired by the John Lewis Partnership, the UK's largest employee-owned b ...

and some smaller shops, several restaurants, charity shops, a post office, a number of estate agents, solicitors, opticians, betting shops and an insurance broker. There are two

public house A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption Licensing laws of the United Kingdom#On-licence, on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the ...

s: the Railway Arms and the White Hart. FrimleyParkHospitalMainEntrance

Frimley Park Hospital lies within the boundaries. One of the major employers in the town is

BAE Systems BAE Systems plc is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Aerospace industry, aerospace, military technology, military and information security company, based in London. It is the largest manufacturer in Britain as of 2017. It is ...

, which occupies a building off Lyon Way. Frimley Business Park is to the west on a north–south road, the A331. It has offices of the

Environment Agency The Environment Agency (EA) is a non-departmental public body, established in 1996 and sponsored by the United Kingdom government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with responsibilities relating to the protection and enha ...

, Genesys Telecommunications,

AMD Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California and maintains significant operations in Austin, Texas. AMD is a hardware and fabless company that de ...

and Novartis Pharmaceuticals.

Demography

The usual number of residents in the

ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

, 6,178, belies the observation that this is the largest and most commercial settlement of the GU16 postcode, which also covers the southernmost, Heatherside/Parkside, Camberley and the distinct villages of

Frimley Green Frimley Green is a large village and wards of the United Kingdom, ward of in the borough of Surrey Heath, in Surrey, England. It lies south of the town of Frimley and south-west of central London. Lakeside Leisure Complex, Lakeside Countr ...

Mytchett Mytchett is a village in the borough of Surrey Heath, in Surrey, England. It is approximately south-west of central London and to the east of Farnborough, its nearest town. Much of the village dates from the first half of the twentieth centu ...

and Deepcut.

Employment

The working population worked as set out below in the official industry categorisations in 2011:

Nationality

The ward is relatively representative of the nation as a whole in terms of national identity:

Economic status

The proportions of those retired, unemployed and who were students in 2011 were extremely close to the regional average whereas those in the economically inactive (other) category were fewer: Those who replied that again there were no people in the household with English as their main language formed a proportion of the population 0.1% less than the national average.

Religion

Transport

Frimley railway station is a stop on the line between Ascot and

Aldershot Aldershot ( ) is a town in the Rushmoor district, Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme north-east corner of the county, south-west of London. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Farnborough/Aldershot built-up are ...

; services are operated by

South Western Railway South Western Railway Limited, trading as South Western Railway (SWR), is the British state-owned train operating company that took over the services of the South Western Railway (2017–2025), operator of the same name from FirstGroup and MTR ...

Stagecoach South Stagecoach (South) Limited, trading as Stagecoach South, is a bus operator providing services in South East England as a subsidiary of Stagecoach Group, Stagecoach. It operates services in Hampshire, Surrey, and Sussex with some routes extendin ...

and White Bus Services operate local bus routes, which connect the town with Aldershot, Camberley, Farnborough, Woking and Yateley. The town is situated close to the junction of the A325 Farnborough Road and A331 Blackwater Valley Relief Road, which provides a link to the M3 motorway at junction 4.

Education

There are a number of schools in Frimley including: The Grove Primary School, Ravenscote Junior School, Tomlinscote School and St Augustine's Roman Catholic Primary School.

Sport

Frimley Town Football Club was formed over 100 years ago. It runs four teams and the first team competes in the Senior Division of the Aldershot & District Football League. The club is based at Chobham Road recreation ground.

Notable people

Births

* James Cobbett, famous

cricketer Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

and considered by many as the finest

all-rounder An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a handful of batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are cons ...

of his day, was born in Frimley on 12 January 1804. * Jonny Wilkinson, a fly-half for England

Rugby Union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

and one of the most famous players in international professional rugby was born in Frimley Park Hospital in 1979. * Lady Louise Windsor granddaughter of

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

and niece of

Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

was born in Frimley Park Hospital in 2003. * The Earl of Wessex grandson of

and nephew of

was born in Frimley Park Hospital in 2007. * Paul Darke, academic, artist and disability rights activist, was born in Frimley. * Toby Flood was born in Frimley in 1985. * Chris Benham (cricketer) was born in Frimley on 24 March 1983. He has played county cricket for Hampshire. * John McFall, British Paralympic sprinter, was born on 25 April 1981 in Frimley. * Other sportsmen born in Frimley include cricketers James Lawrell (born 1780) and Richard Ingleby Jefferson (born 1941), footballers Vic Niblett (born 1924), Matty Stevens (born 1998),

Martin Kuhl Martin Kuhl (born 10 January 1965) is an English former professional association football, footballer who played as a midfielder for many years in the English Football League, Football League. He then went into coaching and was most recently ma ...

(born 1965) and Danny Byrne (born 1984) and racing drivers Ben Clucas (born 1984), Ricky Collard (born 1996) and Rob Collard (born 1968). * Garth Walford, recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

* Sir Harry Broadhurst,

Air Chief Marshal Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British i ...

of the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

* Lucy Rose, folk-musician * Greg Bateman (born 1989), premiership rugby player for Leicester Tigers, formerly of London Welsh and Exeter Chiefs * John Paul Wellington Furse (1904-1978) GCB, OBE, VMH, Naval Officer who became a

Rear-Admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

, painter and botanical illustrator and later a plant hunter

Residents

Daphne du Maurier Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning, (; 13 May 1907 – 19 April 1989) was an English novelist, biographer and playwright. Her parents were actor-manager Gerald du Maurier, Sir Gerald du Maurier and his wife, actress Muriel Beaumont. Her gra ...

wrote most of her fourth novel, '' Jamaica Inn'', in 1935 in Frimley where her soldier husband Frederick (Boy) Browning was based. * Dame Ethel Smyth, English composer and

suffragette A suffragette was a member of an activist women's organisation in the early 20th century who, under the banner "Votes for Women", fought for the right to vote in public elections in the United Kingdom. The term refers in particular to members ...

grew up in nearby Frimley Green and later purchased One Oak Cottage in Frimley. Her family moved to

in 1867 when her father was given command of the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

Kobna Holdbrook-Smith Kobna Kuttah Holdbrook-Smith (born 23 August 1977) is a Ghanaian-English actor. He has played roles in films, including Father Richard Emery in '' Ghost Stories'' (2017), Oliver in '' The Commuter'', Templeton Frye in '' Mary Poppins Returns'' ...

grew up in Frimley with his parents and brother.

Deaths

Notable people buried in the churchyard of St. Peter's Church, Frimley include: * John Frederick Lewis (d. 1876), a 19th-century painter * (Francis)

Bret Harte Bret Harte ( , born Francis Brett Hart, August 25, 1836 – May 5, 1902) was an American short story writer and poet best remembered for short fiction featuring miners, gamblers, and other romantic figures of the California Gold Rush. In a caree ...

(d. 1902), the American author * William George Cubitt (d. 1903), who won the

in the Indian Mutiny for saving three men's lives at the risk of his own during the retreat from Chinhut * Charles Wellington Furse (d. 1904) a 19th-century painter * Sir Doveton Sturdee (d. 1925) a British

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

who decisively defeated the German squadron under Graf Maximilian von Spee at the

Battle of the Falkland Islands The Battle of the Falkland Islands was a First World War naval action between the British Royal Navy and Imperial German Navy on 8 December 1914 in the South Atlantic. The British, after their defeat at the Battle of Coronel on 1 November, ...

in 1914, for which he was made a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

* Sir Charles Melliss VC (d. 1936), First World War general * Arthur Cocks (d.1944), first-class cricketer and the first British Army officer to be killed on D-Day * George Edward Lodge, an illustrator of birds and an authority on falconry, died in Frimley on 5 February 1954. * John Pennycuick (d. 1911), was a British East India Engineer who is remembered for his work in Colonial South India. He sold his personal assets to complete the construction of Mullaiperiyar Dam. Even today, many of the farmer families of the Theni and

Madurai district Madurai District is one of the 38 districts of the state of Tamil Nadu in southeastern India., United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency The city of Madurai serves as the district headquarters. It houses the famous Sri Meenakshi ...

s still keep portraits of Pennycuick and worship him as a god.

Literary mentions

In one of the '' Just William'' books by

Richmal Crompton Richmal Crompton Lamburn (15 November 1890 – 11 January 1969) was a popular English writer, best known for her ''Just William (book series), Just William'' series of books, humorous short stories, and to a lesser extent adult fiction books. L ...

, William visits an aunt in Frimley for a few days.

Charles Kingsley Charles Kingsley (12 June 1819 – 23 January 1875) was a broad church priest of the Church of England, a university professor, social reformer, historian, novelist and poet. He is particularly associated with Christian socialism, the workin ...

refers to "a series of letters on the Frimley murder" in his '' Alton Locke, Tailor and Poet''. There is a brief mention of Frimley in

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...

's '' Nightmares & Dreamscapes'' in the short story '' Crouch End''. It reads: 'He did indeed move into

council housing Public housing in the United Kingdom, also known as council housing or social housing, provided the majority of rented accommodation until 2011, when the number of households in private rental housing surpassed the number in social housing. D ...

, a two-above-the-shops in Frimley'. In ''The Reminiscences of Sir Henry Hawkins (Baron Brampton)'', chapter 18 tells of the trial of a bricklayer who, in a prize fight on Frimley Common, unfortunately killed his opponent. He appeared in court dressed as a young clergyman and was found innocent of the

manslaughter Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th ce ...

charge because of doubts over his identity.

Notes

References

External links

{{authority control Villages in Surrey Aviation accidents and incidents locations in England Former civil parishes in Surrey Surrey Heath