Lightwater

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Lightwater
Lightwater war memorial and rose garden
Lightwater is located in Surrey
Lightwater
Lightwater
Location within Surrey
Population6,500 Decrease (2021 Census) [1]


2011: 7,000 (2011 Census. Ward)[2]
OS grid referenceSU929621
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townLIGHTWATER
Postcode districtGU18
Dialling code01276
PoliceSurrey
FireSurrey
AmbulanceSouth East Coast
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Surrey
51°21′02″N 0°40′02″W / 51.3506°N 0.6672°W / 51.3506; -0.6672

Lightwater is a village in the Surrey Heath district of Surrey, England, about 27 miles (43 km) southwest of central 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" (A322). To the south-east it is bounded by the "Red Road" (B311), while to the south-west there are vehicle-testing tracks owned by the Ministry of Defence.

The village is adjacent to junction 3 of the M3 motorway. The nearest railway station is at Bagshot, on the line between Ascot and Aldershot. Lightwater is part of the civil parish of Windlesham, which has a population of 17,000 and also includes the neighbouring village of Bagshot.[3] The village has a population of 6,500 as of the 2021 census, down from 7,000 in 2011. [4][5]

Since April of 2025, Lightwater has been home to the oldest living person, Ethel Caterham, a Supercentenarian aged 116 years, 84 days old, after previous oldest living person Inah Canabarro Lucas died at the age of 116. Caterham has lived in a Lightwater care home since 2020, and in celebration for her 116th birthday was visited on 18 September 2025 by Charles III. Caterham is the last known surviving individual born in the 1900s decade. [6][7][8][9]

History

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An 1890 map of the locality

Development

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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

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The town has full medical facilities, a library, pub, a post office, a range of shops and a petrol station.

Transport

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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.

Notable people

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Lightwater Country Park

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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. [citation needed]

Sport

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The local senior rugby club is Lightwater Rugby Club.[16]

The largest local junior badminton club, Swifts, is accredited as a Badminton England Premier Club and is based at Lightwater Leisure Centre.[17]

References

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  1. ^ "Build a custom area profile". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Surrey Heath Ward population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 21 October 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  3. ^ "Windlesham Parish Council". Archived from the original on 2 February 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  4. ^ "Build a custom area profile". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  5. ^ "Surrey Heath Ward population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 21 October 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  6. ^ Williamson, Lucy (22 August 2024). "UK's oldest woman celebrates 115th at Surrey home". Surrey Live. Archived from the original on 11 May 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  7. ^ SCC (24 August 2020). "Surrey's oldest resident Ethel, celebrates 111th birthday". Surrey News. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  8. ^ Murphy, Cash (21 September 2025). "King Charles meets world's oldest person Ethel Caterham". BBC News. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  9. ^ "King meets world's oldest person – who remembers when 'all the girls were in love with him' 50 years ago". Sky News. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  10. ^ Williamson, Lucy (22 August 2024). "UK's oldest woman celebrates 115th at Surrey home". Surrey Live. Archived from the original on 11 May 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  11. ^ SCC (24 August 2020). "Surrey's oldest resident Ethel, celebrates 111th birthday". Surrey News. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  12. ^ Murphy, Cash (21 September 2025). "King Charles meets world's oldest person Ethel Caterham". BBC News. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  13. ^ "King meets world's oldest person – who remembers when 'all the girls were in love with him' 50 years ago". Sky News. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  14. ^ Benedictus, Leo (29 July 2003). "Why I Love Brian Blessed". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 May 2008.
  15. ^ "Surrey Day: Brian Blessed announced as ambassador for celebration". BBC News. 15 April 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  16. ^ "Lightwater Rugby Club". Archived from the original on 30 September 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
  17. ^ "Swifts Junior Badminton Club". Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
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