Bramley, Hampshire

Bramley is a village and parish in Hampshire, UK. In the 2001 census it had a population of 3,348. It has a village shop, bakers, estate agents, pub (The Bramley Inn) and a railway station. Also, Bramley Camp houses an Army facility where military training and maneuvers take place.

History

Evidence of Bramley's first inhabitants can be found in Bullsdown Camp, a prehistoric settlement, where remnants of flint-scrapers, a spear-head, a core and flint-flakes have been found. This is thought to be a late Celtic "triple-walled dun". This fortification can still be seen today.

The Romans occupied Calleva Atrebatum, today known as Silchester, and their occupation spread as far as Bramley given by evidence in a Romano-British villa.

The Church of St James stands at the west of the village and originally dates from 1160, however features many historical alterations and additions up to the 20th Century. It is a Grade I listed building. The famous physicist Lise Meitner is buried in the burial ground next to the church.

The railway line between Reading and Basingstoke was built through the village in 1848. However, the village had to wait another 47 years until on 1 May, 1895 a station in the village opened, at the insistence of the Duke of Wellington (a relative of the Wellington who fought and defeated Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815) a prominent landowner in the area. During 1935 parts of the film 'The Last Journey' were shot on the railway within the village.

Location

Bramley is located ten miles south of the large town of Reading, and five miles north of Basingstoke. The village is the site of Bramley (Hants) railway station, on the line between Reading and Basingstoke.

Nearby towns and cities: Basingstoke, Reading, Tadley

Nearby villages: Mortimer, Silchester, Sherfield on Loddon

Local government

Bramley is a civil parish with an elected [http://www.bramleyhampshire-pc.gov.uk Parish Council] . Bramley falls within the area of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and of Hampshire County Council and all three councils are responsible for different aspects of local government.

At Borough level, Bramley is represented by Cllrs. [http://councillor.basingstoke.gov.uk/raniljayawardena Ranil Jayawardena] and [http://councillor.basingstoke.gov.uk/rhydianvaughan Rhydian Vaughan] who, together, represent the Bramley and Sherfield Ward.

At County level, Bramley is represented by Cllr. [http://www3.hants.gov.uk/KeithChapman/aboutme.htm?memid=ymcokc Keith Chapman] who represents the Calleva and Kingsclere Division.

Army training area

::"For more details, see Bramley Camp"

Bramley Camp is a military training area south of the village, used mainly by 21 SAS (reserves) and the Berkshire Army Cadet Force. Due to civilian houses close to the boundaries of the training area there are time limits for specific activities such as live firing. but this is widely dismissed by the units who use the training area because the ground is ideal for all types of operations 24 hours a day. The camp has also been used to shot parts of the Channel 4 television series "Scrapheap Challenge," and the ITV1 series "Midsomer Murders."

External links

* [http://www.bramleyhampshire-pc.gov.uk Parish Council Website]