A complete guide to living and buying in Camberley
So, you’re thinking about moving to Camberley? Or perhaps you already live in the area and just want to discover a bit more about the town.
Well it is something of a hidden gem and is being tipped by those in the know as a great place to live (and invest).
This complete guide gives an overview of the Camberley (GU15) area, notable roads and developments, buying a house in the area (and average purchase prices), and outlines some of the things that make Camberley so appealing.
Camberley on the map
Picture copyright: Wellingtons
Camberley is a town situated in Surrey Heath, some 31 miles south of the City of London. According to the most recent Census, in 2021, it has a population of 36,783 people though that figure has likely swelled over the last couple of years.
It is undoubtedly best known for being home to the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. This prestigious base where the British Army trains its officers and, in the recent past, was attended by both Prince William and Prince Harry.
Buying a house in Camberley?
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Camberley is, by Surrey standards at least, very affordable and is considered one of the top places to buy property in the South East. You get plenty for your money – particularly for anyone moving from inside the M25.
There’s also a good range of property from which to choose. Among the most desirable spots are Crawley Hill and Diamond Ridge, along with the area off Park Road which all feature some stunning detached houses on leafy streets.
Closer to the town centre you’ll find a number of attractive late Victorian homes, with noteworthy residential roads including Portesbery Road, Middle Gordon Road and Upper Gordon Road.
Elsewhere, the nearby Heatherside development (on the other side of the M3 motorway) is popular and offers a large number of affordable terraced, semi-detached and detached homes for families or couples. While the Old Dean is another affordable part of the town for families. Meanwhile, there are a number of more modern homes in newer developments dotted around the area, such as Copped Hall and Wellington Park.
In terms of the average property sale prices in Camberley, here are what the latest figures from Zoopla reveal:
- Over the last year, the overall average sale price for a property in Camberley was £515,932.
- At the top end, the most expensive detached home on the market in Camberley at the moment is on Maywood Drive with a guide price of £2m.
- A detached house in Camberley on average costs £827,720
- A semi-detached house on average in Camberley costs £496,875
- A flat/apartment on average in Camberley costs £237,703
Four reasons why Camberley is a great place to live.
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Outstanding schools
The schools on offer include the following:
Early years learning
- Prior Heath Nursery
- Sandhurst Station Nursery
- Camberley Town Montessori Nursery School
- The Fun Factory
- Busy Bees Day Nursery
Primary (Infant) schools
- Crawley Ridge Infant School
- Heather Ridge Infant School
- Lorraine Infant School
- Lyndhurst School
- Pine Ridge Infant School
- Prior Heath Infant School
- South Camberley Primary School
- The Grove Primary School (Infants and Juniors)
- St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School (Infants and Juniors)
Junior schools
- Cordwalles Junior School
- Crawley Ridge Junior School
- Ravenscote Junior School
- Frimley Junior School
Secondary schools
- Collingwood College
- Kings International College
- Tomlinscote School
If you want to find a specific report for schools that are of interest, head to the Oftsed website.
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Forests, parks and green spaces
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If it’s possible, we’ve all grown to appreciate even more the value of our green spaces over the last year. And in Camberley, we are spoiled for choice with an array of parks, woodland and forests right on our doorstep.
Not exhaustive by any means, but here are a handful of our favourites:
Tomlinscote Woods
This place is perfect for dog walkers, young families young and more elderly walkers alike thanks to the myriad of different routes. It is hugely accessible too with entrances dotted at various points all around it from up near Deepcut Barracks, Pine Ridge Golf Course and near Tomlinscote School. You’ll find some very scenic trails, streams, bridges, beautiful coloured plants and trees for all seasons and, best of all for those with young walkers (or riders), a good distance of recently installed pathways.
Barossa Common
Bordering the Royal Military Academy on one side and joining up with Swinley Forest on the other, these ranges and woodland are vast! Perfect for walkers and ramblers looking to get lost for a long while, and also for mountain bikers and dog walkers. There are some high ridges that offer incredible panoramic views on clear days, large swathes of heather and some densely forested parts too.
Curley Hill
Off the Maultway, near the Red Road junction, you will find a real gem of a woodland walk. Parking isn’t easy but, if you live locally, this is ideal for shorter walks and little legs as it is all quite flat terrain. A short walk from the Maultway and you find High Curley Hill Summit. This has some of the best views around and, on a clear day, you are rewarded with a vista that takes in Ascot Racecourse and the entire London Skyline from Wembley Stadium across to the Shard and Canary Wharf. Those wanting to venture a bit further can do so as the woods lead on to Lightwater Country Park (which also has a lovely children’s playground and pond).
Some great shopping, leisure and dining options
Now, while it would be a stretch to describe Camberley as a shopping ‘destination’, the town does boast some brilliant shops. Just down the A30 at ‘The Meadows’, you’ll find a giant M&S and (a personal favourite of ours), a super-sized Next. And back up the A30, you’ll find one of the region’s best garden centres – Longacres (admittedly this is in Bagshot).
The town centre itself is benefitting from extensive investment. Kier Property is working on a £200 million mixed scheme with shops, homes and open space on London Road – a planning application is expected soon for this. Furthermore, the council has also started work on a multimillion-pound project to upgrade the High Street, and has bought one of the main shopping malls which is now undergoing an £8 million facelift.
And, speaking of shops, there is a good selection of ‘chain’ and independent shops spread across its shopping malls, High Street and Park Street. And these are complemented by a (Vue) cinema, Camberley Theatre, Camberley Library and a number of gyms and sports clubs to choose from.
There is an extensive array of restaurants and bars, offering lots of different cuisines. Too many to list here but you’ll find favourites like Zizzi, Bill’s, Wagamama and Pizza Express as well as a lovely little independent Tapas restaurant called El Pic and (a personal favourite), Sanjha!
Picture copyright: Wellingtons
Elsewhere, the local leisure centre – Places Leisure Camberley reopened in 2021 after a £22m complete renovation. The facilities include a Gym, Indoor cycling studio, Swimming pools, Sports hall, Soft play, Climbing, Hot yoga, Heath suite, Costa coffee and onsite parking.
Picture copyright: Wellingtons
There is also the Frimley Hall Hotel & Spa and the choice of two fantastic courses in Camberley Heath Golf Club and Pine Ridge Golf Club.
Well-connected transport links
Camberley benefits from brilliant transport links, particularly by road. It is located close to the M3, M25 and M4, making it easy to get to the south coast, the west country, London and beyond. Recent investments in ‘Smart motorways’ on stretches of the M3 and M4 have further improved accessibility and commuting times by road. Two of London’s biggest airports – London Heathrow and London Gatwick are both also within easy reach.
The train service is, in truth, less of a draw. While Camberley does have its own station, the service operated by South Western Railway into London Waterloo is pretty slow, taking around 1-hour due to the sheer number of stops it makes. Savvy commuters who travel to London often tend to do so from nearby Farnborough North or Brookwood stations instead, which almost halves the journey times.
