Bradfield, Berkshire

Bradfield is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England. Aside from farms and a smaller amount of woodland its main settlements are Bradfield Southend, its medieval-founded nucleus and the hamlet of Tutts Clump. Bradfield village is the home of the public school Bradfield College.

For other uses, see Bradfield (disambiguation).

Bradfield
Village

The River Pang in Bradfield village
Bradfield
Location within Berkshire
Area16.67 km2 (6.44 sq mi)
Population2,177 (2011 census)[1]
• Density131/km2 (340/sq mi)
OS grid referenceSU6073
Civil parish
  • Bradfield
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townREADING
Postcode districtRG7
Dialling code0118
PoliceThames Valley
FireRoyal Berkshire
AmbulanceSouth Central
UK Parliament

Location

Bradfield's traditional centre is on the mid-flood plain of the River Pang centred 6 miles (9.7 km) west of Reading, where the Theale to Compton road crosses the river. Bradfield Southend is centred about a mile to the south west on the gentle escarpment between the Pang and the River Kennet. Other villages and hamlets in the parish include Tutts Clump, Clay Hill and Rotten Row.[2] There is a complex of ponds in the vicinity of the latter containing very good examples of artesian aquifers. Best known of these is 'The Blue Pool' which has delighted generations of children. In recent years, the current owners have had to deny access to the site due to fluctuating levels of pollution. Plans for better access have not yet come to fruition. To the west of Clay Hill is King's Copse, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).[3]

Landmarks
The church of St Andrew

The parish church of St Andrew was almost entirely rebuilt by George Gilbert Scott in 1847.[4] It is a Grade II* listed building.[5] Bradfield's war memorial is the last work of George Blackall Simmonds, which commemorates the deaths of members of the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers in the First World War, including his son.

Governance

Bradfield is a civil parish with an elected parish council which makes up the second layer of local government. It falls within the unitary authority of West Berkshire, the main layer of local government. It is in the parliament constituency of Newbury.

Notable people

Demography
2011 Published Statistics: Population, home ownership[1]
Output areaHomes owned outrightOwned with a loanSocially rentedPrivately rentedOtherPopulation
Civil parish21820348116362177

Local area

Position: grid reference SU605726 (Bradfield), SU596706 (Bradfield Southend)

Nearest town/city: Reading

Nearby villages: Theale, Stanford Dingley, Englefield, Tidmarsh, Upper Basildon, Pangbourne

See also

References
  1. Key Statistics: Dwellings; Quick Statistics: Population Density; Physical Environment: Land Use Survey 2005
  2. "Domesday Reloaded: BRADFIELD-CLAY HILL". BBC. 1 January 1970. Archived from the original on 12 May 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  3. "Magic Map Application". Magic.defra.gov.uk. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  4. Betjeman, J. (ed.) (1968) Collins Pocket Guide to English Parish Churches: the South. London: Collins; p. 112
  5. Historic England (14 April 1967). "Church of St Andrew (Grade II*) (1289580)". National Heritage List for England.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.