Hart Guide: Fleet
In Saxon times the area was called Fugelmere meaning a wildfowl lake and the name Fleet came from the Norman word "la Flete" (stream).
Less than 40 miles from London and with high speed rail and motorway links to London and the south coast, the town of Fleet is the administrative and commercial centre of the District. For many centuries it was an area of marsh and heathland with a sparse population, and its development stems from the arrival of the railway in 1840. This brought visitors from London to enjoy Fleet Pond, pine woods and silver birches and the beautiful scenery which inspired many to settle there. The residential and light industrial development is served by a good shopping centre which includes a broad selection of small independent retailers as well as the national chain stores.
The architecture of Fleet is varied and contains a mix of fine older Victorian properties as well as some striking new buildings. in 2009/10 a project was started to plan for the long term development of the town centre - "A Vision for Fleet" - and this work is ongoing.
Fleet is also well served with car Parks, and sport and leisure facilities such as the Harlington Centre, the Hart Leisure Centre, and the Peter Driver Sports Ground. The "Views" meadow behing the Civic Offices and Harlington Centre provides a pleasant area of open space with a well equipped children's playground. The Views is also the venue for the annual Fireworks display and other local events such as visiting Fairs & Circuses.
Fleet Carnival and Fleet Half Marathon are two popular annual events which attract enthusiastic spectators and participants from a wide area.
Fleet Parish Website: http://communities.hants.gov.uk/fleet-index.htm
Parish Code: 24UG021
Population: = 21,198 (Source: Hampshire Small Area Population Forecasts 2010)
No of Dwellings: 9173 (Source: Hampshire Small Area Population Forecasts 2010)
Shops & Markets: Fleet has a vibrant Town Centre with many small shops, bars and restaurants mainly distributed along Fleet Road. There are medium sized Sainsbury's and Waitrose supermarkets. Kings Road and Reading Road also have a selection of specialist shops and restaurants. There is a regular Saturday Market in Gurkha Square plus specialist visiting French, Italian and Farmers Markets at various times during the year.
