Brampton, Cambridgeshire
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Brampton – in Huntingdonshire (now part of Cambridgeshire), England – is a village near Godmanchester south west of Huntingdon. It has a population over 5000.
Brampton has been variously known as: Brantune (xi cent.), Brantone, Bramptone (xii-xiii cent.), Brauntone, Brampton (xiii cent.).
Brampton has a long history and is mentioned in the Domesday Book: There was a church and priest at Brampton in 1086. The Church of St Mary Magdalene or St Mary the Virgin (as it was once called), consists of a chancel with a north vestry, nave, north aisle, south aisle, west tower and north and south porches. This church is mentioned in the Domesday survey of 1086 but, with the exception of a few parts dating from the 12th century, no part of the current structure is earlier than the 14th century.
At one time the higher part of Brampton parish was forest but there are now less than 300 acres of woodland. Brampton is generally low-lying, mostly being about 33 feet above sea-level, although the ground rises towards the south west boundary where it reaches 164 feet.
Brampton is associated with Samuel Pepys and legend has it that his fortune is buried somewhere in the village. Brampton was the home of his uncle, Robert Pepys, elder brother of the diarist's father - his house still stands in the village. Samuel Pepys was known to have stayed there and at the Black Bull Inn in the village.
Aside from the Black Bull Brampton boasts various drinking establishments: including The Grange Hotel, Dragoon Pub, and the Masala Bar (a bar and Indian restaurant). There are other less accessible places to drink, including The Institute, a private members club, and the Bowls Club.
The Grange Hotel, Brampton is an interesting property - a large eighteenth-century brick building, once a private residence, but during the war requisitioned as the headquarters of the American Eighth Air Force. The village is still home to the Royal Air Force at RAF Brampton.
Brampton has two schools, situated on the same site: an infants school and a junior school.
Brampton park Golf Club is an 18-hole golf club, boasting a signature hole completely surrounded by water.
One of the most recent additions to the village was the Skate Park, completed in 2005 on the Memorial Playing Fields, alongside the newly-completed Memorial Hall.
