Rowhill, Aldershot

[Jaeger75]

Calling all Aldershot residents, we're thinking of moving to the Rowhill area of Aldershot due to its proximity to two very good schools, there's plenty of negative reviews of the town online, we visited the town centre recently, quite a few boarded up shops and premises but is this due to covid lockdown? We've seen worse town centres. What's your thoughts? Thanks in advance.

@Jaeger75 - The town center in the worst. The shops have been boarded up for at least 3 years now nothing to do with Covid.

The negative reviews are correct.

By choice i would choose Weybourne or Badshot Lea if you needed to be close to Aldershot.

Farnham would also work.

Do you know the areas for the schools cut off?

I would also be looking at Frimley, Frimley Green, Mytchett, Ash Vale, Ash, Tongham all before i considered Aldershot.

@Jaeger75

Calling all Aldershot residents, we're thinking of moving to the Rowhill area of Aldershot due to its proximity to two very good schools, there's plenty of negative reviews of the town online, we visited the town centre recently, quite a few boarded up shops and premises but is this due to covid lockdown? We've seen worse town centres. What's your thoughts? Thanks in advance.

Omg I used to live on Rowhill Avenue as a child. Went to st Michaels and st Josephs. Moved away when i was about 8/9 yrs old. The area has changed so much.

Thanks for responding, we're looking at weybourne and rowhill areas as it's close to st Joseph's which now has a catchment area due to being oversubscribed. The immediate vicinity looks good but Aldershot town doesn't. We're in a quandary.

AlbusSeverus Malfoy, changed so much as in bad?

@Jaeger75

AlbusSeverus Malfoy, changed so much as in bad?

I think the rowhill area is still ok. Looks the same. We moved to a different county. The town is awful. The boarded up shops were there long before covid sadly. But this is the case with most towns I feel. I remember trips to the Sunday market in the bottom of the multi-storey car park and a busy town centre full of shops. Rowhill Avenue has a area near the bottom where you can walk in to the woodland area. Lots of time spent there tad poling or climbing trees. The top has the church and hall which used to do rainbows/brownies and beavers/scout. The Rowhill area still looks nice and well kept from our visits in passing but I would head to their town for a proper shopping trip.

Thank you Albus

There are plans for major redevelopment of the town centre. Part of the reason the shops have been boarded up so long is the council has been trying to buy up buildings and then redevelop altogether - work is scheduled to start next year and if you look on Rushmoor council site you can see plans for redevelopment. Rowhill is a nice area close to the lovely rowhill nature reserve and caesars camp if you like outdoorsy stuff! St Joseph's is a great school according to my friend (we aren't catholic so my kids go to st Michaels and Heath end both of which are great) and if you are thinking of st Joseph's I expect you will also be looking at All Hallows' which is an outstanding secondary and sixth form. We've lived in Aldershot for 13 years - we moved here because houses were cheaper than surrounding areas, but it has definitely grown on us and has a lot going for it.

A friend who lives there said the area has declined massively. She bought when it was on the up with the new housing estate and shopping area. But there's a lot of social issues currently. That said, it depends what you're used to. If you're coming from a deprived area, I can't imagine it's any worse than what you're used to. Apparently Farnboriugh is where all the local young professionals are moving to.

I live nearby in Fleet and I've occasionally gone to Aldershot ( maybe 4 times in 4 years), but the town is a bit grim yes. But we use the big Aldershot Tesco and have been to the theatre there. But plenty of other places to go nearby like Farnham, Farnborough or 30 mins away is Basingstoke for bigger shops.

Lots of new builds around. I think military towns always have a bit of a grubby feel. I don't know about the schools. However lots of lovely MOD land for great walk between Fleet and Aldershot. We moved out from Surrey as it's cheaper.

I grew up in a different area which was notoriously bad if you read reviews, but my experience in the right part of town was very boring and suburbia. I'm sure Aldershot is the same.

You can't polish a turd! It's an army town and despite massive investment recently the quality of the place has just not improved. Plenty of other options out there and unless absolutely set on the schools you mention then I'd be looking elsewhere

Thanks guys for your responses, they really help us to make a decision.

@Knittingmamma

There are plans for major redevelopment of the town centre. Part of the reason the shops have been boarded up so long is the council has been trying to buy up buildings and then redevelop altogether - work is scheduled to start next year and if you look on Rushmoor council site you can see plans for redevelopment. Rowhill is a nice area close to the lovely rowhill nature reserve and caesars camp if you like outdoorsy stuff! St Joseph's is a great school according to my friend (we aren't catholic so my kids go to st Michaels and Heath end both of which are great) and if you are thinking of st Joseph's I expect you will also be looking at All Hallows' which is an outstanding secondary and sixth form. We've lived in Aldershot for 13 years - we moved here because houses were cheaper than surrounding areas, but it has definitely grown on us and has a lot going for it.

Thanks Knittingmama,

This explains the boarded up shops. I have seen the plans on the council's website. Farnham is out of our budget, extremely expensive and you get so much more for your money in rowhill!

What's your budget for how many bedrooms ? Semi ? Terraced? Old or new ? Done or to do up?

Have you decided against it Aldershot ??

Would you buy a new build as fleet and the outskirts is new build territory. Possible deals to be had. Hartlands development looks nice.

Sorry so many questions 😂

What are your reasons for looking at St Joseph's? Is it purely because it's a feeder school for All Hallows? If so, then consider other feeders for All Hallows, because children are bussed into All Hallows from as far away as Bracknell believe it or not. You could look at St Bernadette's in Farnborough, for example. Equally, Catholic children from secular local primary schools still get into All Hallows - your children could attend William Cobbett Primary, for example, and still get in. So you could look at living in the Hale/Folly Hill area, or Weybourne/Badshot Lea - fantastic infant school in Folly Hill, and also in Badshot Lea, for example.

What was the other school you were interested in?

@peekaboofrog

What's your budget for how many bedrooms ? Semi ? Terraced? Old or new ? Done or to do up?

Have you decided against it Aldershot ??

Would you buy a new build as fleet and the outskirts is new build territory. Possible deals to be had. Hartlands development looks nice.

Sorry so many questions 😂

Hi peekaboo,

We're looking at 4 bed detached, rowhill appeals as they're are many 1930's 4 beds at a reasonable price, not cheap but less then very desirable areas like Farnham. I will also be working from Farnham in the near future. We looked at quite a few houses in Farnham, for our budget I can only describe them as ok homes in a very nice area. You need very big money for a great home in Farnham! Obviously you get more for your money in rowhill so we haven't written off Aldershot, it's just obviously not as good an area as Farnham!

@shelvira

What are your reasons for looking at St Joseph's? Is it purely because it's a feeder school for All Hallows? If so, then consider other feeders for All Hallows, because children are bussed into All Hallows from as far away as Bracknell believe it or not. You could look at St Bernadette's in Farnborough, for example. Equally, Catholic children from secular local primary schools still get into All Hallows - your children could attend William Cobbett Primary, for example, and still get in. So you could look at living in the Hale/Folly Hill area, or Weybourne/Badshot Lea - fantastic infant school in Folly Hill, and also in Badshot Lea, for example.

What was the other school you were interested in?

Hi shelvira,

Our main reason for st Josephs is that it's an outstanding school and highly rated, having recently enquired with the school they now have a catchment area system due to being oversubscribed, it's quite a small area and doesn't cover Farnham or even north of Farnham. I'll also be transferring work to Farnham so don't want to be too far away. Farnham is seriously expensive and nice so we can't find the right house for us near to st Polycarps which also now has catchment area system in place! We weren't that impressed with Aldershot town centre but rowhill is a nice neighborhood with nice detached houses, not cheap but reasonable compared to Farnham. Yes, we do eventually want to get our DS and DD into All Hallows.

Another Fleet local just also saying maybe consider here or Farnborough. It’ll be somewhere in between Aldershot and Farnham pricewise. But the new Hartland village place looks a bit overpriced, 3 beds starting at 550 (gulp) and also poorly connected, you can’t walk to anywhere from there.

Lovely countryside all around though, love Caesar’s camp!

Where is Rowhill? By the nature reserve so near to Hale and the big roundabout ? I think some of the house do look nice there, but I'm not sure if live there. Some roads are cut throughs. Church Crookham is nearby, but I guess wouldn't be good for your school as it's Hampshire not Surrey.

I think, therefore, that if you want a Catholic primary, and want high Ofsted ratings, as well as wanting to live fairly close to Farnham, and unsure about the Rowhill area, then you could also look at St Patrick's in Farnborough - Ofsted 'Good'. All Hallows has buses from miles away, as I said, and there is definitely a bus from Farnborough. Lots of St Patrick's children go (a few every year prefer to stay local and go to The Wavell School, which is secular).

If you're happy with a secular primary, then look at William Cobbett Primary, which is Farnham, granted, but the north side, on the same road as All Hallows actually. It's a very nice school with happy children - also Ofsted 'Good' with lots of outstanding features. That would give you a wider area in which to look at houses to buy. Children attend William Cobbett Primary from Hale/Weybourne/Badshot Lea. You'd still get your children into All Hallows from William Cobbett Primary.

Aldershot is definitely not all bad, particularly the side that borders Farnham. Best of everything really - two train stations to choose from, under an hour into London, cinemas, great theatres at The Princes Hall in Aldershot and The Maltings in Farnham, Lidl, SpaceNK, Whistles, Joules, White Stuff in Farnham; New Look, Lidl, Egg Free Cake Shop, dry ski slope/Ski Centre in Aldershot. Something for everyone!

peekaboo's idea of Church Crookham is also workable, assuming you can find a primary school there that you are happy with. Unfortunately there are no 'feeder' schools for All Hallows in the Fleet/Church Crookham area, which would pretty much guarantee you a place (assuming you're Catholic, you attend church, and your children are baptised) but it would be worth contacting All Hallows' admissions officer for advice on whether or not Catholic children at Fleet/Church Crookham primaries were admitted in previous years.

I looked around a church school near Church Crookham, edge of Fleet ( Dogmersfield primary) with a massive catchment for faith children, but I don't know about crossing counties? It wasn't catholic that one though. Although my cousin got into a catholic secondary not being catholic, but being another faith school and being from a very Christian family.

Thanks all for your responses, lot's of food for thought there!

St Michael's infants is also ofstead outstanding, and I do know children who have gone from there to All Hallows'. The Westie (the west end centre) is a real hidden gem - an arts centre in Aldershot that has live bands, comedy nights, arts workshops etc.

To be honest all schools in Fleet / Church Crookham are good. Fleet infants has an outstanding and a quirky building. Crookham infants is another church school but Tweseldown a newish school is equality as good without the religion. Sorry I can't help more on Aldershot specifically. Best of luck do come back and tell us if you moved there or not

Thank you guys for your inputs, it helps us make a decision. I'll let you know what we choose.