Coordinates: 51°21′02″N 0°40′02″W / 51.3506°N 0.6672°W / 51.3506; -0.6672

Lightwater
Lightwater war memorial and rose garden
Lightwater  Lightwater shown within Surrey
Population	6,691 [1]
OS grid reference	SU929621
District	Surrey Heath
Shire county	Surrey
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Lightwater
Postcode district	GU18
Dialling code	01276
Police	Surrey
Fire	Surrey
Ambulance	South East Coast
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Surrey Heath
List of places UK England Surrey

Lightwater is a village in the Surrey Heath district of Surrey, England, about 27 miles (43 km) south-west of London. Immediately surrounding towns and villages include Bagshot, Deepcut, Windlesham, Camberley, and West End, Woking. It is bounded to the north-west by the M3 motorway and to the north-east by the Lightwater bypass. To the south-east it is bounded by the Red Road,^{[clarification needed]} while to the south-west there are vehicle-testing tracks owned by the Ministry of Defence.

History [edit]

An 1890 map of the locality.

Development [edit]

Prior to development, the natural vegetation was part of the Surrey heathland as seen in Bagshot and Chobham Common. The region has been inhabited since pre-historic times with tumuli in the heathland to the south of the village.

In modern times, Lightwater grew as a place with holiday homes in a chalet style for people living in London. Since 1960 it has grown rapidly, with housing estates proliferating in the area just north of Red Road and the military ranges around Greyspot.

Facilities [edit]

The village has full medical facilities and veterinary surgery, a library, pubs, a post office, a bank, a range of shops, and a petrol station.

Transport [edit]

Despite Lightwater being larger in size, the nearest railway station is at Bagshot. This reflects the fact that Bagshot used to be a more important town as a staging post on journeys from London to Southampton and the West Country.^{[citation needed]} Lightwater has grown in size as a dormitory settlement in recent times. In the adjacent 1890s map of the area, Bagshot is a notable town while Lightwater is noted as just a farm.

Lightwater Country Park [edit]

Lightwater has its own country park, with some 100 acres (0.40 km²) of heathland, complete with "nature trail", together with a leisure centre and visitors centre.

The park has a view point, called High Curley, which gives views of about 250 degrees. From this point Bracknell, Ascot Racecourse, the London skyline and Bagshot Park can be seen to the west of the M3.

Towards the north-east, planes landing at Heathrow can be spotted,^{[citation needed]} together with the high -rise buildings of the City of London and Canary Wharf. To the east, the taller buildings of Woking are visible, as also the North Downs.^{[citation needed]}

Sport [edit]

The local senior rugby club is Lightwater Rugby Club.^[2]

References [edit]

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lightwater

• Website written by a man who lives in Lightwater
• Aerial photographs of Lightwater

v t e Borough of Surrey Heath Towns, villages and hamlets Bagshot Bisley Burrowhill Camberley Chobham Coxhill Green Deepcut Donkey Town Frimley Frimley Green Lightwater Mytchett West End Windlesham Parks Chobham Common Frimley Lodge Park Swinley Forest Churches Church of St Lawrence, Chobham Education Collingwood College Gordon's School Kings International College Tomlinscote School Transport Bagshot railway station Camberley railway station Frimley railway station Buildings and structures BAE Systems Integrated System Technologies Bagshot Park Frimley Lodge Park Railway Frimley Park Hospital HM Prison Coldingley Lakeside Leisure Complex Pennyhill Park Hotel Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut Updown Court Windlesham Arboretum Sport Camberley Town F.C. Chobham F.C. Frimley Green F.C.