Brampton, Cambridgeshire
Encyclopedia
Brampton – in Huntingdonshire
(now part of Cambridgeshire
), England
– is a village
near Godmanchester
south west of Huntingdon
. It has a population over 5000
Brampton has been variously known as: Brantune (11th century), Brantone, Bramptone (12th-13th century), Brauntone, Brampton (13th century)
Brampton has a long history and is mentioned in the Domesday Book
: there was a church and priest at Brampton in 1086. The Church of St Mary Magdalene or St Mary the Virgin (as it was once called), consists of a chancel with a north vestry, nave, north aisle, south aisle, west tower and north and south porches. This church is mentioned in the Domesday survey of 1086, but, with the exception of a few parts dating from the 12th century, no part of the current structure is earlier than the 14th century.
At one time the higher part of Brampton parish was forest but there are now less than 300 acres (1.2 km²) of woodland. Brampton is generally low-lying, mostly being about 33 feet (10.1 m) above sea-level, although the ground rises towards the south west boundary where it reaches 164 feet (50 m).
Brampton is associated with Samuel Pepys
and legend has it that his fortune is buried somewhere in the village Brampton was the home of his uncle, Robert Pepys, elder brother of the diarist's father; his house still stands in the village. Samuel Pepys was known to have stayed there and at the Black Bull Inn in the village.
Brampton offers two more drinking establishments, The Dragoon, and the Montaz Tandoori restaurant (formerly The Harrier pub, named in honour of the RAF base located in the village). Other less accessible places to drink include The Institute, a private members club, and the Bowls Club.
The Grange Hotel, Brampton used to be a hotel and restaurant but is now shut down, awaiting to be turned into flats. It is a large 18th-century brick building, once a private residence, but during the Second World War was requisitioned as the headquarters of the American Eighth Air Force
The village is still home to the Royal Air Force
at RAF Brampton
.
Brampton has one recently-merged school (September 2007) named simply Brampton Village Primary School. Previously there were two schools, situated on the same site: an infants school and a junior school.
Brampton Park Golf Club is an 18-hole course featuring a signature hole completely surrounded by water.
Brampton Garden Centre, run by East Anglian company Frosts is a well-respected and popular garden centre. The Garden Centre also has a restaurant which recently won an award for the best Garden Centre Restaurant in the North-Thames area despite it being nowhere near the Thames.
Brampton is on a regular bus route to St Neots, Hinchingbrooke, Huntingdon and Tesco - routes 65/66 are operated by Stagecoach in Huntingdonshire.
One of the most recent additions to the village is the Skate Park, the first phase of which was completed in 2005 on the Memorial Playing Fields, alongside the newly-completed Memorial Hall. There are plans to build a second phase to the skate park on the same site once funds have been generated.
Scattered human remains dating back c 1600–2000 years old have been found in one or more gardens of houses near the local primary school. The exact origin has yet to be determined.
, the Commonwealth shot put champion and two times winner of the title of World's Strongest Man, served as a police officer here in the 1970s.
Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire is a local government district of Cambridgeshire, covering the area around Huntingdon. Traditionally it is a county in its own right...
(now part of Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
), England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
– is a village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
near Godmanchester
Godmanchester
Godmanchester is a small town and civil parish within the Huntingdonshire district of Cambridgeshire, in England. It lies on the south bank of the River Great Ouse, south of the larger town of Huntingdon, and on the A14 road....
south west of Huntingdon
Huntingdon
Huntingdon is a market town in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was chartered by King John in 1205. It is the traditional county town of Huntingdonshire, and is currently the seat of the Huntingdonshire district council. It is known as the birthplace in 1599 of Oliver Cromwell.-History:Huntingdon...
. It has a population over 5000
Brampton has been variously known as: Brantune (11th century), Brantone, Bramptone (12th-13th century), Brauntone, Brampton (13th century)
Brampton has a long history and is mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
: there was a church and priest at Brampton in 1086. The Church of St Mary Magdalene or St Mary the Virgin (as it was once called), consists of a chancel with a north vestry, nave, north aisle, south aisle, west tower and north and south porches. This church is mentioned in the Domesday survey of 1086, but, with the exception of a few parts dating from the 12th century, no part of the current structure is earlier than the 14th century.
At one time the higher part of Brampton parish was forest but there are now less than 300 acres (1.2 km²) of woodland. Brampton is generally low-lying, mostly being about 33 feet (10.1 m) above sea-level, although the ground rises towards the south west boundary where it reaches 164 feet (50 m).
Brampton is associated with Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys FRS, MP, JP, was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament who is now most famous for the diary he kept for a decade while still a relatively young man...
and legend has it that his fortune is buried somewhere in the village Brampton was the home of his uncle, Robert Pepys, elder brother of the diarist's father; his house still stands in the village. Samuel Pepys was known to have stayed there and at the Black Bull Inn in the village.
Brampton offers two more drinking establishments, The Dragoon, and the Montaz Tandoori restaurant (formerly The Harrier pub, named in honour of the RAF base located in the village). Other less accessible places to drink include The Institute, a private members club, and the Bowls Club.
The Grange Hotel, Brampton used to be a hotel and restaurant but is now shut down, awaiting to be turned into flats. It is a large 18th-century brick building, once a private residence, but during the Second World War was requisitioned as the headquarters of the American Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
The village is still home to the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
at RAF Brampton
RAF Brampton
RAF Brampton is a Royal Air Force station near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire. Formerly the home of RAF Support Command, it now houses several elements of Defence Equipment & Support , which itself was a result of a merger between the Defence Logistics Organisation and the Defence Procurement Agency...
.
Brampton has one recently-merged school (September 2007) named simply Brampton Village Primary School. Previously there were two schools, situated on the same site: an infants school and a junior school.
Brampton Park Golf Club is an 18-hole course featuring a signature hole completely surrounded by water.
Brampton Garden Centre, run by East Anglian company Frosts is a well-respected and popular garden centre. The Garden Centre also has a restaurant which recently won an award for the best Garden Centre Restaurant in the North-Thames area despite it being nowhere near the Thames.
Brampton is on a regular bus route to St Neots, Hinchingbrooke, Huntingdon and Tesco - routes 65/66 are operated by Stagecoach in Huntingdonshire.
One of the most recent additions to the village is the Skate Park, the first phase of which was completed in 2005 on the Memorial Playing Fields, alongside the newly-completed Memorial Hall. There are plans to build a second phase to the skate park on the same site once funds have been generated.
Scattered human remains dating back c 1600–2000 years old have been found in one or more gardens of houses near the local primary school. The exact origin has yet to be determined.
People
Geoff CapesGeoff Capes
Geoffrey Lewis Capes is a former athlete, strongman and professional Highland Games competitor...
, the Commonwealth shot put champion and two times winner of the title of World's Strongest Man, served as a police officer here in the 1970s.