Heritage - 2000 Annual Report of Historic Buildings

Stargazing - 1

Barry Bellinger tells the story of Patrick Alexander and the Aldershot Observatory.

The observatory stands as a listed building in Aldershot, home to the British Army. Inside the building a 9 inch refractor telescope built in 1891 is equatorial mounted.

Both the telescope and observatory dome were designed and built by Sir Howard Grubb, of Dublin, makers of the largest and best known optical telescopes in the world at that time. Paterick Y Alexander donated the telescope and observatory to the army in 1906 and a metal plaque commemorates the occasion.

During 1891, Patrick Alexander ordered the 9 inch aperture lens refractor telescope on an equatorial mount from the family business of Thomas and Howard Grubb. The telescope was first erected at either 'DeMontalat Wood', or Alexander's second residence 'The Mount', Batheaston, Bath. It was there that Alexander had his Experimental works, a fully equipped workshop of moderate size, employing several people. The workshop was used for the manufacture of experimental sonde balloons and meteorlogical instruments.

The telescope was probably used in tracking sonde balloons, to determine wind direction for his experimental equipment. On some occasions the balloons would drift out to sea and be lost. It is not know whether Patrick Alexander used the telescope for any other purpose, but he was a member of Royal Astronomical Society. Probably the telescope was a scientific toy used to impress visitors.