Fleet station opened in 1847, and was originally known as Fleetpond - the rail company had bought land around the rail line in the hope of promoting the local pond as a leisure destination. However, in 1854 the War Department purchased it as a training ground to help with the Crimean War effort. It has now been returned to public use. A rebuild in the 1960s replaced the station's Edwardian building with a prefabricated one, but Fleet finally got a major facelift in 2014, and today the station looks brand new.
Although the station has dropped 'pond' from its name, the pond in the centre of Yateley Common Country Park is still the area's main attraction. Basingstoke Canal is its biggest rival, with walking, cycling, boating and fishing all on offer. The town itself is a peaceful place with a busy market every Saturday in Gurkha Square, about a mile southwest of the station via Fleet Road.