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

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

Bradfield village is the home of the public school Bradfield College, whilst Bradfield Southend is well-known locally for the display of outdoor Christmas lights put on by many residents.

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 Kennet. Other villages and hamlets in the parish include Southend, Tutts Clumps, 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 minor fluctuating levels of pollution. Plans for better access have not yet come to fruition.

To the west of Clay hill is a site of Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) called King's Copse.[3]

Landmarks
The church of St Andrew

The parish church of St Andrew was almost entirely rebuilt by Gilbert Scott in 1847.[4]

Bradfield's war memorial is the last work of George Blackall Simmonds, which commemorates the deaths in the First World War of those of the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers, including his son.

Local area

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

Nearest town/city: Reading

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

Demography
2011 Published Statistics: Population, home ownership[1]
Output areaHomes owned outrightOwned with a loanSocially rentedPrivately rentedOther
Civil parish2182034811636

Local government

Bradfield is a civil parish with an elected parish council – this makes up the second layer of local government. It falls within the area of the unitary authority of West Berkshire, the main layer of local government.

Notable people
  • Peter Nelson (1913–1998), first-class cricketer and British Army officer
  • John Pordage (1607–1681), Anglican priest and Christian mystic

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. 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
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