Blackwater is a small town in the northeastern corner of Hampshire, England, lying in the county's Hart District. Considered to be part of the Farnborough/Aldershot Built-up Area and almost contiguous with Camberley, Surrey, it is centred WSW from London. Location The northern (and, respectively, eastern) borders of Blackwater are a mixture of water-meadows and roads to Berkshire (Bracknell Forest) and Surrey (Surrey Heath). The town is centred west of Camberley, NNW of Farnborough, and east of Basingstoke. As with its larger neighbour, Camberley, it straddles the A30 road and is centred west-southwest of London. A pre-1900 distance sign near the nightclub on the A30, in Camberley marks "London - 30 miles", from which the centre of Blackwater is less than a mile. The town is in the outer half of the London Commuter Belt, the fastest link being Farnborough (Main) Station on the South Western Main Line. The place sits west of where the A30 trunk road from London to Land's End crosses the River Blackwater. It is served by Blackwater railway station which is on the non-interchanging line, midway, between Reading and Guildford. History The first record of Blackwater, archived and known, is in 1281, when it was known as Bredeford. It grew around the ford (soon after seen as Brydrs Ford) across the Blackwater. The White Hart Parade of shops and offices, to the west of Blackwater station, is named after the White Hart coaching inn that occupied the site in the late 19th century. Transport connections Trains from Blackwater station operate with a half-hourly service to Reading, and to Gatwick Airport or the shorter-stop Redhill both via Guildford. Trains do not operate directly to London, requiring a change to London Paddington at Reading, or to London Waterloo at Guildford or Wokingham. At peak times, some additional trains operate; which usually go beyond Guildford to Shalford. Trains are operated by Great Western Railway. Train passengers seeking to commute to Farnborough North for the Sixth Form College or for London-bound trains from nearby Farnborough Main are advised that these are on the few full-stopping-services only, as a semi-fast stopping pattern prevailingly operates for convenience of the whole line and regional transport. Buses to Camberley operate every 15 minutes via Route 3. Local economy Blackwater is a gateway town into Hampshire on a main national route (the A30). This 'high street' area is a dual-carriageway which subsides to singled west