Located northeast of Camberley and Farnborough amongst the swathes of nature reserves and green pastureland, sits the village of Bagshot, Surrey. Historically infamous as a staging station for travellers moving between London and the southeast, Bagshot grew significantly over the centuries through this movement. Although in recent times, the nearby Lightwater has far superceded Bagshot in terms of population and housing density. Dotted with large country manors and contemporary luxury detached builds, Bagshot has long remained a desirable semi-rural locale nestled in the heart of the Surrey heaths!

Before recent archaeological excavations, it was thought that Bagshot was a product of Saxon settlement.
However, following archaeological excavations it is now thought that Bagshot as a settlement dates back to the pre-Roman conquest of Britain in 43 AD. Excavations near the Windle Brook evidence multi-period human activity and settlement in the area - ranging from the Iron Age to the Post-Roman age of Britain! Bagshot was not however featured in the 1086 Domesday Book survey for William the Conquerer. However, it was recorded in the 14th century Gough Map - one of the oldest detailed maps of Britain! However Bagshot’s prosperity did not blossom until the Elizabethan period, when it became a hotspot for travellers and coaches as the village sat squarely on the Great West Road to London. Here in the 16th century, it became a notorious zone for highwaymen and outlaws!

Bagshot is also infamous for Bagshot Park - the huge royal residence and parks situated near the Windle Brook on London Road. First referenced in 1486 as a hunting lodge, Bagshot Park developed as a royal residence throughout the Stuart Period, with designed rennovations carried out by famed architect Inigo Jones. In fact, Bagshot Park is the location where Charles I, in 1635, signed a warrant establishing that his private courier service be extended to the general public - forming what we now know as Royal Mail!

Bagshot has been part of the Surrey Heath Borough Council (SHBC) for over 50 years. Owing to its relatively rural location and small population, development in the Bagshot locale has often been limited and stagnant - with development favouring other nearby villages and towns, such as Camberley. The SHBC is currently preparing its new local plan for the upcoming period, so it is hard to say what amount of development will be undertaken in the Bagshot area. However, Bagshot is considered an essential community area in the borough and work is underway to improve the transport connections available in the Bagshot locale. In the most recent local plan, the SHBC did portion a significant amount of the borough’s housing allocation to Bagshot, with 10% of the borough’s housing infrastructure focused here!