Bradwell Abbey
| Bradwell Abbey | |
|---|---|
 Chapel at Bradwell Abbey | |
  Bradwell Abbey Mapping ©OpenStreetMap  Bradwell Abbey Location withinBuckinghamshire | |
| OS grid reference | SP826395 |
| Civil parish | |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | MILTON KEYNES |
| Postcode district | MK13 |
| Dialling code | 01908 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Buckinghamshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| UK Parliament | |
Bradwell AbbeyorBradwell Prioryis ascheduled monument,urban studies site, district and formercivil parishinMilton Keynes,Buckinghamshire,England. The site was once the location of aBenedictinepriory,founded in 1155.
Historic Bradwell Priory
[edit]The Priory was established around 1154.[1]It grew during theMiddle Agesto become an important local centre, but declined during theBlack Deathwhen, amongst others, its prior William of Loughton died.[1]The Priory was closed in 1524 (some 12 years before the generaldissolution of the monasteries) and the site of the monastery and its scanty revenues were granted toCardinal Wolseyfor the endowment ofhis new college.[2]All that remains today is a small chapel and a farmhouse that has become a centre for cultural activities and an Urban Studies centre. Many of the medieval trackways converging on the abbey becamerights of wayandbridlewaysand subsequently became part of theMilton Keynes redway system(a network ofshared paths).
The arrival of theWest Coast Main Linerailway split the Abbey lands, withBradwell villageto the east of the line and the Abbey to the west. Today, the small Bradwell Abbey district includes parkland and industry outside the Abbey grounds.
The Abbey site in total is a Scheduled Monument.[3]The Chapel of St Mary is a Grade I listed building.[4]There are a further five Grade II listed buildings or structures on the Abbey grounds.[5]
Bradwell Abbey today
[edit]Today, Bradwell Abbey is home to theMilton Keynes City Discovery Centre(anurban studiescentre),[6]providing a workspace, library and guidance for visiting international town planners and students who wish to study thedevelopment of Milton Keynes.It also hosts school visits to see its medieval buildings – the chapel is Grade I listed[7]– its fish ponds and itsphysic garden,and how they have changed since then. Finally the Abbey provides meeting space to local community groups.
Togfest
[edit]An annual music festival was started on the site in 1999. Performers have included Vikki Clayton in 1999,Joe Driscollin 2005. In 2009 the festival dates were 26 and 27 June and acts performing includedThe Swanvesta Social Club.
Bradwell Abbey district
[edit]The modern Bradwell Abbey district is a relatively small one, sandwiched as it is between theWest Coast Main Lineto the east, theA5to the west, H3 Monks Way (A422) to the north and H4 Dansteed Way to the south. It includes a small industrial estate and the Loughton Valley flood plain "linear park". TheSwan's Waylong-distance path and theSustransroute 51 follow the valley.
Formally, it is in the Bradwell grid-square, but this square is split into three parts by the railway line (on an embankment) and the A5 (in a cutting).
Civil parish
[edit]From 1858 to 2011, "Bradwell Abbey" was also the name of a civil parish stretching from a little west ofWatling Streetto a little east of theWest Coast Main Line(and thus on either side of the (modern)A5).[8]In 1971 the parish had a population of 11.[9]
On 1 April 2011, the parish was abolished and divided: the part west of the A5 becameAbbey HillCP; the part east of the A5 and north of theA422(a tiny part of Stacey Bushes and Bancroft) became part ofWolverton and GreenleysCP; and the remainder, the Abbey site and the adjacent lands east of the A5 and south of the A422, became part ofBradwell CP.[10]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^abMarkham, Sir Frank (1986) [1973].History of Milton Keynes and District.White Crescent Press. pp. 105–108.ISBN0-900804-29-7.
- ^'Houses of Benedictine monks: The priory of Bradwell'–Victoria History of the Counties of England,A History of the County of Buckingham: Volume 1 (1905), pp. 350–352. Date accessed: 22 September 2009.
- ^Historic England(16 June 1948)."Bradwell Abbey: a Benedictine priory, chapel and fishpond (1009540)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved28 February2022.
- ^Historic England(3 March 1952)."CHAPEL TO NORTH OF BRADWELL ABBEY HOUSE (1125271)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved28 February2022.
- ^"Search Results for 'Bradwell Abbey'".Historic England.Retrieved28 February2022.
- ^Milton Keynes City Discovery Centre
- ^Historic England."Details from listed building database (1125271)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved6 January2009.
- ^"Boundary Map of Bradwell Abbey CP/ExP".A Vision of Britain through Time.Retrieved15 May2024.
- ^"Population statistics Bradwell Abbey CP/ExP through time".A Vision of Britain through Time.Retrieved15 May2024.
- ^"Milton Keynes Registration District".UKBMD.Retrieved15 May2024.
External links
[edit]
- "The architectural secrets of Milton Keynes"–BBC(with audio content)
- Places to go: Bradwell Abbey and City Discovery Centre
- The history of Bradwell Abbey– City Discovery Centre. Includes video tour.
- Milton Keynes City Discovery Centre(Urban Studies educational centre).
- Togfest Music Festival
- William Page, ed. (1927)."Parishes: Bradwell".A History of the County of Buckingham.Victoria History of the Counties of England.Vol. 4. London:Constable & Co. Ltd.pp. 283–288.
