Bradfield, Berkshire
| Bradfield | |
|---|---|
| Village | |
 The River Pang in Bradfield village | |
  Bradfield Location withinBerkshire | |
| Area | 16.67 km2(6.44 sq mi) |
| Population | 2,177 (2011 census)[1] |
| •Density | 131/km2(340/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | SU6073 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Reading |
| Postcode district | RG7 |
| Dialling code | 0118 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Royal Berkshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| UK Parliament | |
Bradfieldis a village andcivil parishinBerkshire,England. Aside from farms and a smaller amount of woodland its main settlements areBradfield Southend,itsmedieval-foundednucleusand thehamletofTutts Clump.Bradfield village is the home of thepublic schoolBradfield College.
Location
[edit]Bradfield's traditional centre is on the mid-flood plainof theRiver Pangcentred 6 miles (9.7 km) west ofReading,where theThealetoComptonroad crosses the river.Bradfield Southendis centred about a mile to the south west on the gentleescarpmentbetween the Pang and theRiver Kennet.Other villages andhamletsin the parish includeTutts Clump,Clay Hill and Rotten Row.[2]There is a complex of ponds in the vicinity of the latter containing very good examples ofartesian aquifers.Best known of these is 'The Blue Pool' which has delighted generations of children. In recent years, the current owners have had to deny access to the site due to fluctuating levels of pollution. Plans for better access have not yet come to fruition. To the west of Clay Hill isKing's Copse,aSite of Special Scientific Interest(SSSI).[3]
History
[edit]
In the 12th-centuryAbingdon Chronicle,Bradenfeldis described as forming part ofAbingdon Abbeyin 699.[5]TheDomesday Bookrefers to the area asBradefelt.The name may derive from theAnglo-Saxonbrādfeldmeaning 'broad piece of open land'.[6]
In the mid 18th century, the village was the site of twowatermills,one fewer than had been recorded in the Doomsday Book 700 years prior.[7][8]
In 1835, the Bradfield Poor Law Union was formed, and aworkhouse,designed bySampson Kempthorne,was built to accommodate 250 people. The small church of St Simon and St Jude was also built on the site. Between 1948 and 1991 the site was known asWayland Hospital,a residential home for people with learning difficulties. Housing was built on the site at the end of the 20th century.[7][9][10]
St Andrew's Church
[edit]
A church in Bradfield is first referenced in the charter ofDudley Prioryin the early 12th century.[11]
Theadvowsonbelonged to theLord of Bradfield Manor.It passed to Thomas Stevens in 1842, who funded the restoration and rebuilding of theChurch of England parish churchofSt AndrewbyGeorge Gilbert Scottin 1847.[12]The 16th-century tower and 14th-century north nave predate theVictorian restoration.The church is aGrade II* listed building.[7][13]Stevens went on to foundBradfield College.
In 1982,Catherine Middleton,the future Princess of Wales, was christened at St Andrew's Church.[14]
The last service was held in the church in 2014, and it was bought from theDiocese of Oxfordby Bradfield College in 2019.[15]
War memorial
[edit]Bradfield'swar memorialis the last work ofGeorge Blackall Simmonds,which commemorates the deaths of members of the 2nd Battalion,South Wales Borderersin theFirst World War,including his son.[16]
Governance
[edit]Bradfield is a civil parish with an electedparish councilwhich makes up the second layer oflocal government.It falls within theunitary authorityofWest Berkshire,the main layer of local government. It is in the parliament constituency ofNewbury.
Notable people
[edit]- Peter Nelson(1913––1998), first-class cricketer and British Army officer[17]
- John Pordage(1607–1681),Anglicanpriest andChristianmystic[18]
- Catherine Octavia Stevens(1865–1959),astronomer[19]
Demography
[edit]| Output area | Homes owned outright | Owned with a loan | Socially rented | Privately rented | Other | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Civil parish | 218 | 203 | 48 | 116 | 36 | 2177 |
Local area
[edit]Position:grid referenceSU605726(Bradfield),SU596706(Bradfield Southend)
Nearest town/city:Reading
Nearby villages:Theale,Stanford Dingley,Englefield,Tidmarsh,Upper Basildon,Pangbourne
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ab"Key Statistics: Dwellings; Quick Statistics: Population Density; Physical Environment: Land Use Survey 2005".Archivedfrom the original on 11 February 2003.Retrieved3 June2022.
- ^"Domesday Reloaded: BRADFIELD-CLAY HILL".BBC. 1 January 1970. Archived fromthe originalon 12 May 2017.Retrieved9 March2017.
- ^"Magic Map Application".Magic.defra.gov.uk.Archivedfrom the original on 12 March 2017.Retrieved9 March2017.
- ^Williams, David (28 August 2013) [14 August 2013]."Finds record for: SUR-B9F446".The Portable Antiquities Scheme.Retrieved4 September2023.
- ^Stevenson, Joseph,ed. (1858).Chronicon monasterii de Abingdon(in Latin). p. 11.Retrieved2 June2022.
- ^Gelling, Margaret (1973). Cameron, K (ed.).The place-names of Berkshire (Pt 1).English Place-Name Society,Cambridge University Press.p. 200.ISBN9780521085755.
- ^abcDitchfield, P H; Page, W, eds. (1923).A History of the County of Berkshire: Volume 3; Parishes: Bradfield.Victoria County History,British History Online.pp. 395–399.Archivedfrom the original on 16 April 2021.Retrieved3 June2022.
- ^"Bradfield - MWB3635".Heritage Gateway.Archivedfrom the original on 3 June 2022.Retrieved3 June2022.
- ^"Site of Bradfield Union Workhouse, later Wayland Hospital - MWB5093".Heritage Gateway.Retrieved3 June2022.
- ^Higginbotham, Peter."Bradfield - Berkshire".workhouses.org.uk.Archivedfrom the original on 3 June 2022.Retrieved3 June2022.
- ^Wallace, Steve."REBUILDING BRADFIELD HISTORY".bradfieldcollege.org.uk.Archivedfrom the original on 3 June 2022.Retrieved2 June2022.
- ^Betjeman, J. (ed.) (1968)Collins Pocket Guide to English Parish Churches: the South.London: Collins; p. 112
- ^Historic England(14 April 1967)."Church of St Andrew (Grade II*) (1289580)".National Heritage List for England.
- ^"Duchess of Cambridge christening church: Reassurance over sale".bbc.co.uk.BBC News Online.25 November 2013.Archivedfrom the original on 17 February 2014.Retrieved2 June2022.
- ^"Bradfield College to turn 14th Century church into study centre".bbc.co.uk.BBC News Online.5 January 2022.Archivedfrom the original on 5 January 2022.Retrieved2 June2022.
- ^"Bradfield Memorial: WM7776".iwm.org.uk.Imperial War Museum.Archivedfrom the original on 6 December 2019.Retrieved2 June2022.
- ^"Player profile: Peter Nelson".CricketArchive. Archived fromthe originalon 5 April 2019.Retrieved1 June2022.
- ^Gordon, Alexander(1896)..InLee, Sidney(ed.).Dictionary of National Biography.Vol. 46. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
- ^"Obituary - Catherine Octavia Stevens"(PDF).britastro.org.British Astronomical Association.Archived(PDF)from the original on 3 June 2022.Retrieved1 June2022.
External links
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