Work proceeded apace until a long, accurate straight edge was required so that the dome could be correctly positioned.

On 26 August 1906 the dome, which also had been designed by Grubb, was installed and over the next three months, the telescope was put in place and final construction work was completed.

The ceremony was attended by Patrick Alexander, guests from Aldershot civic council and several high-ranking army officers.

Local Aldershot News reports of the opening ceremony on 22 December 1906 show that no civic guests were invited.

Major maintenance took place in 1987; this resulted in the copper dome and the instrument being repainted drab green.

It is at a low elevation in an essentially urban setting of an army town with many nearby buildings that date from the time of its construction.

Before the second World War, observations of variable and double stars were carried out, often by local members of the British Astronomical Association.

In early August 1933, local amateur astronomer Mr John Pettley observed the famous Great White Spot on Saturn on the same night that it was discovered by Will Hay and later observations of the white spot by Pettley appeared in several issues of the "English Mechanic" during September 1933.

By April 2000, the lens cell was replaced and the telescope fully restored and the larger of the surrounding trees had been removed.

There are hopes that nearby streetlights might be lowered and shielded to reduce interference with observations, but in truth the instrument is little used and interest in the observatory is mainly historical.

The Army is expected to withdraw entirely from the area that currently surrounds the observatory and the land will be redeveloped with private housing.

In its current location, the observatory will be an island in a sea of houses and some people fear that it will be targeted by vandals or, perhaps, will have to be protected with high, unsightly fences.

One possibility is to move the entire building a mile or so to the North where it can placed within the confines of Aldershot Military Museum.