Bramley, Hampshire Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Bramley
St. James' church, the parish church for Bramley
Bramley
Population	5,875 4,233 (2011 Census)
OS grid reference	SU655593
Civil parish	Bramley
District	Basingstoke and Deane
Shire county	Hampshire
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	TADLEY
Postcode district	RG26
Dialling code	01256

Police	Hampshire
Fire	Hampshire
Ambulance	South Central

EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	North East Hampshire
List of places UK England Hampshire 51°19′44″N 1°03′41″W / 51.3290°N 1.0613°W / 51.3290; -1.0613

Bramley is a small village and parish located in Hampshire, England. In 2001, about 3,348 people lived here. Bramley has a village shop, a bakery, and a pub called The Bramley Inn. It also has its own railway station. An important Army facility, Bramley Camp, is also located here. Soldiers use this camp for training.

Discovering Bramley's Past
Bramley's Location
How Bramley is Governed
- Local Government Structure
- Local Representatives
Bramley Army Training Area
- About Bramley Camp
- A Haven for Wildlife
Images for kids
See also

Discovering Bramley's Past

Ancient Settlements and Roman Connections

The first people to live in Bramley left clues at a place called Bullsdown Camp. This was a very old settlement from prehistoric times. People found tools made of flint, like spear-heads, which show that early humans lived here. Bullsdown Camp was a "triple-walled dun," which means it was a fort with three protective walls. You can still see parts of this old fort today, east of the village.

The Romans also had a big impact nearby. They built a walled city called Calleva Atrebatum, now known as Silchester. Bramley is on the Chichester to Silchester Way, which was a Roman road. Remains of a Romano-British villa have been found close by.

Bramley in the Domesday Book

Bramley was an important place even in 1086. It was listed in the Domesday Survey, a famous record of England. At that time, 39 families lived in Bramley. The village had two mills, a church, woodlands, and fields for farming. Its total value was £9, which was a lot of money back then!

The Historic St. James' Church

The Church of St James is a very old building at the west end of the village. It was first built around 1160. Over the years, many changes and additions were made, even up to the 20th century. This church is a Grade I listed building, meaning it's very important historically. Inside the church, old paintings from before the Reformation were discovered.

A famous scientist named Lise Meitner is buried in the churchyard. She was a physicist who helped discover nuclear fission. Her brother, Walter, is also buried nearby.

The Arrival of the Railway

The railway line connecting Reading and Basingstoke was built through Bramley in 1848. However, the village did not get its own station right away. It took another 47 years! On May 1, 1895, a station finally opened. This happened because the Duke of Wellington, who owned a lot of land in the area, insisted on it. In 1935, parts of a film called 'The Last Journey' were even filmed on the railway in Bramley.

Bramley's Location

Bramley is located about 10 miles (16 km) south of the large town of Reading. It is also about 5 miles (8 km) north of Basingstoke. The village has its own Bramley (Hants) railway station, which is on the railway line between Reading and Basingstoke. Local trains run by Great Western Railway serve this station.

How Bramley is Governed

Local Government Structure

The civil parish of Bramley includes the main village and nearby areas like Bramley Green and Bramley Corner. The village is part of the Bramley and Sherfield ward. This ward is part of the Basingstoke and Deane borough council.

The borough council is a type of local government for Hampshire County Council. These three levels of government – parish, borough, and county – are each in charge of different things in the area. For example, the parish council might look after local parks, while the county council handles bigger things like roads and schools.

Local Representatives

At the borough level, Bramley is represented by two councillors: Nicholas Robinson and Venitia Rowland. They work together for the Bramley and Sherfield Ward. At the county level, Bramley is represented by Councillor Keith Chapman, MBE. He represents the Calleva and Kingsclere Division. These councillors help make decisions for the community.

Bramley Army Training Area

About Bramley Camp

Bramley Camp is a large military training area located just south of the village. It is mainly used by a special forces reserve unit called 21 SAS. This camp has also been used for filming television shows. For example, parts of the Channel 4 series Scrapheap Challenge and the ITV1 series Midsomer Murders were filmed here.

A Haven for Wildlife

The Bramley Camp site is very large, covering about 900 acres (3.6 km²). It is not open to the public, which means it remains mostly undisturbed. This makes it a very important place for wildlife. Many animals live here, including badgers, deer, and pheasants. It's like a natural sanctuary for them.