Brackley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brackley |
|
|---|---|
 Brackley Town Hall |
|
 Brackley
|
|
| Population | 16,195 (2021 Census) |
| OS grid reference | SP5837 |
| • London | 63 miles (101 km) SE |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority |
|
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BRACKLEY |
| Postcode district | NN13 |
| Dialling code | 01280 |
| Police | Northamptonshire |
| Fire | Northamptonshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| EU Parliament | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament |
|
| Website | Brackley Town Council |
Brackley is a busy market town in West Northamptonshire, England. It is close to the borders of Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. The town is about 19 miles (31 km) from Oxford and 22 miles (35 km) from Northampton.
Historically, Brackley was known for its wool and lace trade. It grew because it was located on important trade routes. These routes connected London, Birmingham, the Midlands, Cambridge, and Oxford. Today, Brackley is famous for being near Silverstone. It is also home to the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team. In 2021, about 16,195 people lived in Brackley.
Contents
History of Brackley
How Brackley Got its Name
The name 'Brackley' first appeared in a very old book called the Domesday Book in 1086. It was written as Brachelai. Later, in 1173, it was called Brackelea. The name means 'Bracca's glade or clearing'. A glade is a small open space in a forest.
Early Times and Important Meetings
In 1086, a powerful person named Earl Alberic owned Brackley. Later, it was passed to the Earl of Leicester and other important families.
In the 11th and 12th centuries, Brackley was part of a larger area called the Hundred of Odboldistow. It was also part of the Manor of Halse. King Richard I (also known as Richard the Lionheart) chose Brackley as one of only five official places for jousting tournaments. Jousting was a sport where knights on horseback fought with lances. This was done to stop these events from becoming small wars. The tournament area was likely south of the old castle.
Magna Carta and Market Days
Brackley was the site of a very important meeting in 1215. This was the year the Magna Carta was created. The Magna Carta was a document that made King John agree to certain rights and laws. It protected the rights of his subjects, including freemen and even prisoners. King John and the barons were supposed to sign the Magna Carta at Brackley Castle. But they ended up signing it at Runnymede instead.
Brackley's market day used to be on Sundays. In 1218, it was changed to Wednesdays. Today, the market is held on Friday mornings.
Later History
In 1597, Queen Elizabeth I officially made Brackley a town. It then had a mayor, six aldermen, and 26 burgesses (town officials).
In 1602, the famous poet John Donne became a Member of Parliament for Brackley.
For a long time, Brackley was known for making wool and lace. These were important trades for the town.
In 1901, the town's population was 2,467 people.
Brackley and the Poor Law
Before 1834, Brackley used a poor house in a nearby village. In 1834, a new law was passed to help poor people. Because of this, Brackley started its own "Poor Law Union." This meant they built a workhouse in 1836. A workhouse was a place where poor people could live and work. It was built for about 250 people. This building was taken down in the 1930s.
Important Buildings
Brackley Castle
Brackley Castle was built shortly after 1086. You can still see its old earth mounds between Hinton Road and the Tesco store. It was a "motte and bailey" castle. This means it had a tall mound (the motte) with a tower on top. It also had a larger enclosed area (the bailey) where other buildings were.
The castle might have stopped being used around 1147. It was destroyed between 1173 and 1217. This happened because the lord who owned it had problems with the King. The land was later given to a hospital.
St. Peter's Church
The oldest part of Saint Peter's Church in Brackley is an 11th-century doorway. This doorway was built in the Norman style. In the 13th century, a south aisle (a side part of the church) and a west tower were added. The tower has statues in its niches (small hollows).
Later, the chancel (the part of the church where the altar is) was rebuilt. Other parts, like the north aisle and windows, were added in the 14th century. The church has been cared for and restored over many years.
Old Hospitals
Around 1150, a hospital called St. James and St. John was founded. Its job was to offer a place to stay and care for poor travelers. It was run by a priest and religious brothers.
Over time, there were problems with how the hospital was run. It was closed in 1423 but reopened in 1425. In 1484, control of the hospital was given to William Waynflete, a Bishop.
Waynflete had started Magdalen College, Oxford and Magdalen College School, Oxford. He made the old hospital part of their property. By 1548, it became Magdalen College School, Brackley. The hospital's chapel is still used by the school today. It is believed to be the oldest building in Great Britain continuously used by a school!
There was also a smaller hospital called St. Leonard. It was built to care for people with leprosy. It was around by 1280. No buildings from this hospital have survived.
Other Important Buildings
The almshouses were built in 1633 by Sir Thomas Crewe. Almshouses are homes for poor people. They originally had six small houses. By 1973, they were changed into four apartments.
Brackley Manor House was also built in the 17th century. It was rebuilt in 1875-78 to be larger. Today, it is Winchester House School. This is a private school for children aged 3 to 13.
Brackley Town Hall is a beautiful building from 1706. It was built by the 4th Earl of Bridgewater. The ground floor was once open, but it is now enclosed. Many other old houses and inns from the 18th century can be seen in Market Place and Bridge Street.
The town park belongs to the National Trust. It is a lovely place and hosts the Folk in the Park festival.
Getting Around Brackley
Roads and Buses
Brackley is close to the A43 road. This road goes around the town and connects it to Towcester and Northampton. It also links to the M40 motorway. The A422 connects Brackley to Banbury and Buckingham.
The town has many bus services. You can take a bus to other towns and cities like Banbury, Bicester, Buckingham, Towcester, Oxford, and Northampton.
Trains
There are no train stations in Brackley anymore. The closest stations are at Kings Sutton, about 6 miles (10 km) away, and Banbury, about 8 miles (13 km) away. A bus service connects Brackley town centre to Banbury station.
Brackley used to have two train stations, but they both closed in the 1960s.
The first station was called Brackley Town. It opened in 1850. Passenger trains stopped using this line in 1961.
The second station was Brackley Central. It opened in 1899. This station was on the Great Central Main Line, which was a major railway line connecting northern England to London. This line included the Brackley Viaduct. This was a large bridge over the Ouse Valley. It was 255 yards (233 m) long and 62 feet (19 m) high. It had 20 brick arches. Passenger trains stopped using this line in 1966. The viaduct was taken down in 1978.
Some people hope that train services might return to Brackley in the future. However, part of the old Great Central route is now being used for the new High Speed 2 (HS2) line between London and Birmingham. There are no plans for a station at Brackley on the HS2 line.
Industries in Brackley
Brackley is very close to the Silverstone motor racing track. Because of this, some businesses in Brackley are linked to Formula One racing. The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team is based in the town. The Aston Martin F1 team also has a special wind tunnel here.
On the east side of town, there was a company called H. Bronnley & Co.. They made handmade soaps. They even held special "Royal Warrants," which means they supplied soaps to Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III.
Schools in Brackley
Brackley has several schools for different age groups. There are four primary schools: Bracken Leas, Southfield Primary Academy, The Radstone Primary School, and Brackley Junior School. There is also Waynflete Infants' School, where most students then go to Brackley Church of England Junior School.
For older students, Magdalen College School, Brackley is the main comprehensive secondary school for the town and nearby villages. There is also a private school called Winchester House. It is a "pre-prep/prep school" for children aged 3 to 13.
Local Media
For local news and TV, Brackley gets its programmes from BBC South and ITV Meridian. TV signals come from the Oxford TV transmitter.
The town is also served by local radio stations like BBC Radio Oxford and BBC Radio Northampton. Other stations include Heart Thames Valley, Capital Midlands, and 3Bs radio. Local newspapers are the Banbury Guardian and Northampton Chronicle.
Morris Dancing
The Brackley Morris Men are a special group. They are one of only seven "traditional Cotswold" Morris dancing groups left in England. They are the only one in Northamptonshire. Morris dancing is a traditional English folk dance.
Their history goes back to the 1600s. A silver plate given to the church in 1623 has the names of seven men. Local stories say these men were the Morris dancers. In 1725, the dancers were paid to perform at a festival. In 1866, a newspaper described their performance, mentioning their "many coloured ribbons" and their "fool" character. The group still performs today!
Sports and Fun Activities
Brackley has many sports clubs and leisure activities.
- Brackley Cricket Club has two Saturday teams, a Midweek Team, and junior teams. They play in the Cherwell Cricket League.
- Brackley Town Football Club, also known as the Saints, plays in the National League North. In 2018, they won the FA Trophy, which was a big achievement for the club. Their home ground is St James Park.
- Brackley Rugby Union Football Club has two senior teams and many junior teams.
- Brackley Sports Football Club has a first team, a reserve team, and a ladies' team.
- Brackley Athletic Football Club is a junior football club with teams for different age groups.
Brackley also has a tennis club, a leisure centre with a swimming pool, a martial arts academy, and a badminton club.
South of the town is St. James Lake. This is a lake of almost 3 acres (1.2 hectares) that was made in 1977. A local club manages fishing in the lake. The lake is part of a 5-acre (2-hectare) wildlife park that is open to everyone.
Brackley is also home to the F1 team Mercedes AMG Petronas. Before them, other F1 teams like Brawn GP, Honda F1, and BAR were based here.
Nearby Places
 |
Banbury | Daventry | Silverstone, Towcester, Northampton | |
| King's Sutton, Bloxham |  |
Buckingham, Milton Keynes | ||
 Brackley  |
||||
 |
||||
| Croughton, Aynho, Chipping Norton | Bicester, Oxford | Finmere, Aylesbury |
Images for kids
-
Approximate route of the London-Birmingham section of HS2 based on the official description. It would pass just south and west of Southam and through Brackley.
See also
In Spanish: Brackley para niños
