Sandhurst Prayer Walk

START at St Michael and All Angels Church. There has been a church on the site since 1220, but the present building dates from 1853 and was designed by Victorian architect GE Street. The cross in the centre of the churchyard was given to the church by Mrs Harvey when the churchyard was consecrated in 1914. Walk along the road in front to of St Michael’s CofE school.

Cross the main road using the pedestrian crossing and walk up the hill. Pause at the rectory to pray for vicar, the Revd John Castle and leadership of the churches in Sandhurst. Carry on up the hill and turn right into Church Road. Walk over the railway and follow the road right along the High Street and into Little Sandhurst. Turn right up School hill. Take the footpath down Scotland Hill and walk down to the Methodist Church. Sandhurst has thriving Methodist, Baptist and Catholic congregations which work together on a range of ecumencial projects. You may like to give thanks for churches working together in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, and pray for unity between Christians all over the world.

At this point turn back and pause at Sandhurst Well. The well was built in 1874 by Harriet Blakely in memory of her mother, Harriet Walter Vivian Connell. At one time it had a thatched roof, but this was destroyed by fire. It has been restored in recent years by Sandhurst Town Council. It is covered over for safety as it is still a working well and local people can remember their parents using it as a source of water. Pause here to give thanks for the access we have to running water, and pray for those who work in the water industry to make this possible.

Turn right along Harts Leap Road. At the main road junction use the pedestrian crossing to walk down Wellington Road. Pass the site of the former St Mary’s Church. The original church was dedicated in 1889, but demolished in the 1960s. It was replaced by a more modern building, but the last service was held there in 1998 and the site is awaiting redevelopment.

Turn left into Yorktown Road and see the back entrance to the Royal Military Academy, on your left.  There you’ll see a Lodge built in 1831. It was first manned by sentries to stop cholera, which was spreading through the town from reaching the cadets. It was later occupied by a gatekeeper. The gate is now closed to traffic and the house is no longer occupied.

The site of the college was bought by Prime Minister William Pitt in the early 19th Century. The Royal Military College opened in 1812 in what is now known as Old College. New College was completed in 1912 and the Royal Military Academy as we know it opened its doors in 1947.

Follow the road and you’ll see two hypermarkets Marks and Spencer’s and a Tesco on the left – two of the largest stores in the country. Pray for all those who work in the retail industry. Also pray about community development and expansion in towns and villages across the diocese. Before 1940 the popuation of Sandhurst was 4,500 and is currently 21,500. Older residents can remember when there were no supermarkets and many people have mixed feelings about the two hypermarkets.

Sandhurst originated in Anglo Saxon times. The name comes from sandy soils and hurst - a wooded eminence.

It’s history is full of fascinating facts and characters. In the mid 16th Century William, Lord Sandys, the Lord Chancellor to King Henry VIII lived in a supposed manor called Buckhurst, between College Town and central Sandhurst.

Continue to the pedestrian crossing on Laundry Lane, (where the Ghurkas historically did their washing) to Shepherd’s Meadow and the recreation ground. Shepherd’s Meadow provides 65 acres of national park and a place to be tranquil early in the morning while later in the day it becomes a social hub - a haven for dog walkers, joggers and in summer, families out for a picnics. This is somewhere you may want to take time to pause and give thanks to God for creation, and simply enjoy the river and tranquil surroundings.

When you’ve walked through the Meadow, you’ll come to the perfectly maintained recreation ground, by the town council buildings. You may like to pray for the work of the council, for other politicians. Notice how clean the town is and pray for the clean team, Wendy and Heather who are employed to keep it that way.

On one side is the War Memorial. Sandhurst has a long history of connections with the military. This is demonstrated on Remembrance Day every year when the car park is closed and thousands of people fill the recreation ground to watch and take part in the Armistice Day services. Near the recreation ground is the base of the Sandhurst Tug o’ War team, who are currently world champions. You can stop for a coffee and/or a bite to eat at the Coffee Spot, an airy new cafe, with outside terrace, set up as an ecumenical project between churches.

Turn left onto Yorktown Road. Pass the Baptist Church on the left and the Catholic Church on the right.

Walk under Christmas Bridge, near the railway station. The railway opened in Sandhurst in 1849 and was followed by a large number of country residences. In modern times it provides a link between Sandhurst, Reading and Gatwick.

Follow High Street, Sandhurst, back to Lower Church Road. Notice the reason for this bridge being nick named ‘Christmas Bridge’. The railways arrived in 1849 and was followed by a large number of country residences.

Arrive back at St Michael’s Church.