Brandon, Warwickshire
Encyclopedia
Brandon is a small village
in Warwickshire
, England
. Along with nearby Bretford
, it forms part of a joint civil parish
of Brandon and Bretford
. Administratively it is part of the borough of Rugby
. The River Avon
passes just to the east of the village.
Brandon is located upon the A428 road
between Coventry
, 6 miles (9.5 km) to the west, and Rugby
, 7 miles (11 km) to the east.
Brandon is separated from the much larger village of Wolston
by a railway viaduct, but the two villages practically form a single entity. The railway viaduct dates from 1837 and was part of the original London and Birmingham Railway
. 1.5 miles (2.5 km) west of Brandon is the suburban village of Binley Woods
and 2 miles (3 km) to the east is the small village of Bretford
.
The village contains a number of old cottage
s and has a pub near the railway line.
Just east of the village is Brandon stadium
, used for speedway
racing, greyhound racing
, and stock car racing
.
The stadium is home to the National Championship-winning speedway team the Coventry Bees
.
West of the village is Brandon Marsh
, a 228 acre (0.92268408 km²) nature reserve with a wide variety of wildlife, especially pondlife. The reserve was opened in 1998 by Sir David Attenborough. Also to the west and north of Brandon Marsh
is Brandon wood, a community woodland owned and managed by a local group the Friends Of Brandon Wood. The remains of Brandon Castle
are found to the south of the village. The castle was built in the 12th century by Geoffrey de Clinton
and fortified by stone a century later.
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...
in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, 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...
. Along with nearby Bretford
Bretford
Bretford is a small hamlet in Warwickshire, England. It is part of the parish of Brandon and Bretford.Bretford lies at a junction between the A428 road and the old Fosse Way. The name of the village comes from the old ford crossing point over the River Avon which runs just south of the village...
, it forms part of a joint civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Brandon and Bretford
Brandon and Bretford
Brandon and Bretford is a civil parish in the Rugby borough of Warwickshire, England. As the name suggests it contains the two villages of Brandon and Bretford. Of the two, Brandon is the largest. The two villages are located within 1½ miles of each other, along the A428 road. In the 2001 census...
. Administratively it is part of the borough of Rugby
Rugby (borough)
Rugby is a local government district with borough status in eastern Warwickshire, England.The borough comprises the town of Rugby where the council has its headquarters, and the rural areas surrounding the town....
. The River Avon
River Avon, Warwickshire
The River Avon or Avon is a river in or adjoining the counties of Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire in the Midlands of England...
passes just to the east of the village.
Brandon is located upon the A428 road
A428 road
The A428 road is a major road in central and eastern England. It connects the cities of Coventry and Cambridge by way of the county towns of Northampton and Bedford.-Coventry - Northampton:...
between Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, 6 miles (9.5 km) to the west, and Rugby
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
, 7 miles (11 km) to the east.
Brandon is separated from the much larger village of Wolston
Wolston
Wolston is a village and civil parish in the Rugby borough of Warwickshire, England. The village is located roughly halfway between Rugby and Coventry, and has a population of about 2,300. It is close to the A45 road and the Roman road the Fosse Way....
by a railway viaduct, but the two villages practically form a single entity. The railway viaduct dates from 1837 and was part of the original London and Birmingham Railway
London and Birmingham Railway
The London and Birmingham Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom from 1833 to 1846, when it became part of the London and North Western Railway ....
. 1.5 miles (2.5 km) west of Brandon is the suburban village of Binley Woods
Binley Woods
Binley Woods is a village and civil parish in the Rugby borough of Warwickshire, England. However, it is sometimes wrongly considered part of suburban Coventry . In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 2,607....
and 2 miles (3 km) to the east is the small village of Bretford
Bretford
Bretford is a small hamlet in Warwickshire, England. It is part of the parish of Brandon and Bretford.Bretford lies at a junction between the A428 road and the old Fosse Way. The name of the village comes from the old ford crossing point over the River Avon which runs just south of the village...
.
The village contains a number of old cottage
Cottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
s and has a pub near the railway line.
Just east of the village is Brandon stadium
Brandon stadium
Brandon Stadium, located in Brandon, Warwickshire, England, is the home of the Coventry Bees motorcycle speedway team and is also the city's main Greyhound racing stadium. The stadium's capacity is 5,000 and was built in 1948...
, used for speedway
Motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...
racing, greyhound racing
Greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
, and stock car racing
Stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Brazil and Argentina. Traditionally, races are run on oval tracks measuring approximately in length...
.
The stadium is home to the National Championship-winning speedway team the Coventry Bees
Coventry Bees
The Coventry Bees are a motorcycle speedway team based at Brandon near Coventry, England. A Coventry team was first formed in 1928 and competed in the Southern League and then the National League in the pre-war era at Brandon stadium. There were also meetings at a stadium in Lythalls Lane...
.
West of the village is Brandon Marsh
Brandon Marsh
Brandon Marsh is an SSSI and nature reserve in Warwickshire, England. It is situated adjacent to the River Avon, near the village of Brandon, a few miles east of Coventry....
, a 228 acre (0.92268408 km²) nature reserve with a wide variety of wildlife, especially pondlife. The reserve was opened in 1998 by Sir David Attenborough. Also to the west and north of Brandon Marsh
Brandon Marsh
Brandon Marsh is an SSSI and nature reserve in Warwickshire, England. It is situated adjacent to the River Avon, near the village of Brandon, a few miles east of Coventry....
is Brandon wood, a community woodland owned and managed by a local group the Friends Of Brandon Wood. The remains of Brandon Castle
Brandon Castle
Brandon Castle was sited overlooking the River Avon between the virtually adjacent villages of Brandon and Wolston in Warwickshire which in turn lie between the towns of Rugby and Coventry ....
are found to the south of the village. The castle was built in the 12th century by Geoffrey de Clinton
Geoffrey de Clinton
Geoffrey de Clinton was an Anglo-Norman noble, chamberlain and treasurer to King Henry I of England. He was foremost amongst the men king Henry "raised from the dust". He married Lescelina.-Life:Clinton's family origins are a little obscure...
and fortified by stone a century later.
External links
- Brandon Castle
- Brandon Marsh
- Brandon Wood - Brandon Wood Website
- Brandon Stadium speedway page