The village is contiguous with the small town of Blackwater. It is on the western edge of the Blackwater Valley conurbation, about 3 miles (5 km) northwest of central Farnborough, Hampshire, about 2 miles (3 km) west of Camberley, Surrey and about 33 miles (53 km) west-southwest of London. Hawley is directly north of Cove, a large, suburb of Farnborough, with a relatively long history.
History
The first written record of Hawley is from 1248, in the Compotus De Crundal,[1] spelt as Halely, Halle and Hallee and later in 1280 as Hallegh. And spelt as Hallie and Halley in Documents relating to the Foundation of the Chapter of Winchester AD 1541–1547, published by Hampshire Record Society in 1888.[2] The name is likely in true Old or Medieval English Healhleah or Healhaleah meaning nook clearing or nook meadow.[3] Historical spellings also include Hawleye, Halle and Hallie.[4]
The tithings of Yateley and Hawley were, as before, listed as parcels of the manor and the hundred of Crondall in 1567.[3] The parish of Hawley was created out of that of Yateley in 1838, a few decades before the secular aspects of such were fully ceased as civil parishes were rolled out.[5]
The parish's second church, All Saints', South Hawley is where Chapel Lane meets Fernhill Road.
The church parish contains all of any zone traditionally or normally considered Blackwater, see map at Diocese of Guildford.
Amenities
Hawley Lake Sail Training Centre – Clubhouse and Facilities on the western shore of Hawley Lake
Hawley has a village hall, village green, equestrian centre, private leisure centre, a cricket ground and a playground area.
Hawley has Hawley Primary School[10] teaches boys and girls to Key Stages 1 and 2.
HawleyHurst School merging into Hurst Lodge School (until then in Ascot) folded in 2020 – an independent mixed, nursery, preparatory and senior school.[11][12] Alumni include her former Royal Highness Sarah, Duchess of York. The Department for Education (DfE) issued a notice to improve on 20 July 2018. The DfE removed the regulatory action on 11 November 2019.[13] It had a £600,000 annual cash shortfall. Latterly it had 282 pupils, from a capacity of 450.[12]
Centred 1.5 miles (2 km) southwest is Hawley Lake (via a forest walk about 20 minutes from Hawley Green), which is used by the British Army for basic sailing training and also has a private sailing club & watersports facility (Hawley Lake Sail Training Centre). The lake is used for dinghy sailing, kayaking, windsurfing and wakeboarding/water-skiing. There is also a beach on its southern shore which is used by local residents. Each Guy Fawkes Night the Army organises a firework display on the lake's islets, attracting thousands of visitors from many miles around.[citation needed]
