Farnborough, London facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Farnborough
Farnborough High Street with its village sign
Farnborough
Population	14,632 (2011 Census. Farnborough and Crofton Ward)
OS grid reference	TQ445645
• Charing Cross	13.4 mi (21.6 km) NW
London borough	Bromley
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	ORPINGTON
Postcode district	BR6
Dialling code	01689
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
EU Parliament	Greater London
UK Parliament	Orpington
London Assembly	Bexley and Bromley
List of places UK England London 51°21′33″N 0°04′27″E / 51.3591°N 0.0741°E / 51.3591; 0.0741

Farnborough is a village in south-eastern Greater London, England, located in the historic county of Kent. Situated south of Locksbottom, west of Green Street Green, north of Downe and Hazelwood, and east of Keston, it is centred 13.4 miles (21.6 km) southeast of Charing Cross.

Suburban development following the Second World War resulted in the area becoming contiguous with the conurbation of London. The area has formed part of the London Borough of Bromley local authority district since the formation of the ceremonial county of Greater London for administrative purposes in 1965.

History

The village name derives from Fearnbiorginga, meaning village among the ferns on the hill. Old records date from 862 when Ethelbert, King of Wessex, gave away 950 acres at Farnborough. The village was not included in the Domesday Book survey, but the manor existed in the Middle Ages and was held in the 13th century by Simon de Montfort.

The village evolved on the main road from London to Hastings which originally ran via Church Road and Old Hill (to the south of the village). The George pub existed in the 16th century and was used as a coaching inn. Coaches and horses were accommodated later.

Farnborough formed a civil parish in the Ruxley hundred of Kent. In 1840 the parish was included in the Metropolitan Police District. It was part of the Bromley rural sanitary district and went on to form part of the Bromley Rural District from 1894 to 1934. The parish was abolished in 1934 as part of a county review order, following the Local Government Act 1929, and its area was split between the Municipal Borough of Bromley (3 acres) and Orpington Urban District (1,426 acres). The entire area has formed part of the London Borough of Bromley in Greater London since 1965. The population of the parish was as follows:

2008 aeroplane crash

On 30 March 2008, at about 14:40, a Cessna Citation 501 aircraft crashed into a house in Romsey Close, Farnborough. Five people, two pilots and three passengers, were aboard the aircraft. There were no survivors in the aircraft, but no casualties on the ground. The aircraft had taken off from Biggin Hill, on the way to Pau in south-west France. The aircraft was attempting to return to Biggin Hill when it crashed, shortly after the pilot had issued a Mayday call. Amongst those killed were Eurosport commentator and former Touring Car driver David Leslie and ex-Le Mans driver Richard Lloyd. An investigation has been launched by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.

Geography

Church of St Giles the Abbot, Farnborough

The main feature of Farnborough is Farnborough Village. The Princess Royal University Hospital at Locksbottom, near Farnborough (formerly Farnborough Hospital) has an accident and emergency department and specialised units. Farnborough was one of the main filming locations for Footballers' Wives.

Nearby Areas

• Green Street Green
• Locksbottom
• Orpington
• Keston
• Downe
• Chelsfield
• Petts Wood
• St Mary Cray
• 

  A view to the south from near St Giles the Abbot chuch
  Bromley

Transport

Rail

The nearest National Rail station to Farnborough is Orpington, located 1.7 miles away.

Buses

Farnborough is served by London Buses routes 358 & R4. These connect it with areas including Beckenham, Bromley, Crystal Palace, Orpington & Penge.

Notable residents

• Steve Bennett (b. 1961) - football referee, born in Farnborough
• Urania Boswell aka 'Gypsy Lee' (d. 1933) - local woman dubbed the Queen of the Kent gypsies
• Chris Cowdrey (b. 1957) - cricketer, born in Farnborough
• Nigel Farage (b. 1964) - politician, born in Farnborough
• Ben Wallace (b. 1970) - politician, born in Farnborough

Images for kids

• 

  The early 18th-century house at Number 5 Church Street, now Grade II listed