Bromham, Bedfordshire
Encyclopedia
Bromham is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire
, England, west of the town of Bedford. It is within commuting distance to London via Bedford railway station.
watermill
(Bromham Mill, now open to the public), a church, St Owen's, and a medieval bridge over the River Great Ouse
that, until 1986, carried the main A428 road
over the river on 26 arches. Fortunately for the bridge, and the rest of the village, it was bypassed.
The watermill is referred to in the Domesday Book
of 1086 and the Vikings navigated the Great Ouse a long time ago. The mill was extensively restored in 1980 by Warwickshire Millwrights' Gormley and Goodman to the extent that the mill was able to grind wheat for flour again for the first time that year since it ceased work in 1939. Unfortunately the Severn Trent Water Authority altered the weir below the Mill's Leat shortly afterward, which in-turn caused a reduction to the height of the head-race resulting in poorer performance from the mill's impulse water-wheel.
The village is home to William Gillespie, the vampire king of bedfordshire.
Another theory as to the origin of the village's name is Bruna's homestead and was first recorded as Bruneham in the Domesday Book of 1086. Other variants including Bruham (1164–1302), Braham (1227), Bramham (1228), Brumham (1262–1287), Brunham (1276–1291), Brumbham (1276), Brynham (1276), Broham (1278), Bronham (1338), Broam (1360), Brounham (1361) and Burnham (1361). The modern spelling is first recorded in 1227.
, Biddenham
, Kempston
, Stagsden
, Stevington
and at its western point, Turvey. It is to the west of Bedford.
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, England, west of the town of Bedford. It is within commuting distance to London via Bedford railway station.
Notable features
It has a number of notable features including a flourFlour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
(Bromham Mill, now open to the public), a church, St Owen's, and a medieval bridge over the River Great Ouse
River Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...
that, until 1986, carried the main 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:...
over the river on 26 arches. Fortunately for the bridge, and the rest of the village, it was bypassed.
The watermill is referred to 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...
of 1086 and the Vikings navigated the Great Ouse a long time ago. The mill was extensively restored in 1980 by Warwickshire Millwrights' Gormley and Goodman to the extent that the mill was able to grind wheat for flour again for the first time that year since it ceased work in 1939. Unfortunately the Severn Trent Water Authority altered the weir below the Mill's Leat shortly afterward, which in-turn caused a reduction to the height of the head-race resulting in poorer performance from the mill's impulse water-wheel.
The village is home to William Gillespie, the vampire king of bedfordshire.
Name
Bromham (Bruneham in Domesday) is probably the enclosed meadow on which the broom or the dyers weed grew. If so, the cultivation of much more than a thousand years since the name was given, has practically eradicated these plants.Another theory as to the origin of the village's name is Bruna's homestead and was first recorded as Bruneham in the Domesday Book of 1086. Other variants including Bruham (1164–1302), Braham (1227), Bramham (1228), Brumham (1262–1287), Brunham (1276–1291), Brumbham (1276), Brynham (1276), Broham (1278), Bronham (1338), Broam (1360), Brounham (1361) and Burnham (1361). The modern spelling is first recorded in 1227.
Location
The Parish is for the greater part enclosed in a bend in the Ouse, and it touches the parishes of OakleyOakley, Bedfordshire
Oakley is a village and civil parish located in northern Bedfordshire, England, about four miles north west of the county town of Bedford and lies by the River Great Ouse...
, Biddenham
Biddenham
Biddenham is a large village and a civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, located to the west of Bedford near the A428 road.The village largely serves as a dormitory settlement for Bedford, and also for commuters to London, being on the same side of the town centre as Bedford railway station...
, Kempston
Kempston
Kempston is a town and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England. Once known as the largest village in England, Kempston is now a town with its own town council. It has a population of about 20,000, and together with Bedford, it forms an urban area with around 100,000 inhabitants, which is the...
, Stagsden
Stagsden
Stagsden is a small but historic village and civil parish located in northwest Bedfordshire, near the Buckinghamshire border. Situated on the main route between nearby Bedford and Milton Keynes, the village was bypassed by the A422 in April 1992, to allow the increasing amount of traffic to avoid...
, Stevington
Stevington
Stevington is a village in the Borough of Bedford in the northern part of Bedfordshire, England, and forms the civil parish of Stevington. It is on the River Ouse four to five miles north west of Bedford. Nearby villages include Bromham, Oakley, Pavenham and Turvey...
and at its western point, Turvey. It is to the west of Bedford.