The History of Brackley

It is believed that Brackley, which can trace its history back to the very earliest times, was originally founded in two distinct areas. One was around the existing parish church of St Peter and the other around the castle (near Hinton Road) by the River Great Ouse (which rises in Northamptonshire, only a couple of miles from Brackley). Iron Age remains were found when Mill Lane was developed and others were found when the Castle Lane site was excavated. To the south east of the parish church there was probably a Roman villa and the first settlement was built here by BRACCA.

Bracca, from the larger settlement of Halse, lived sometime during the 6th or 7th century AD. He acquired a 'ley' or clearing and built a small village there which was named after him - at first Braccaley and later Brackley.

Around the 11 th and 12 th centuries, Brackley was in the Hundred of Odboldistow and in the Manor of Halse and Brackley's manor house remained in Halse for some 200 years more despite the continuing growth of Brackley as a town of some importance which now dwarfed its small neighbour, Halse. Richard I named five officials sites for tournaments so that such events could not be used as local wars, and Brackley was one of them.

Brackley's growth and its location on the main road from Northampton to Oxford brought it prosperity. By the 13 th century it was a staple town and sent representatives to meetings at Westminster. In addition, a castle was built for its protection: this is the castle that has already been mentioned that was sited near Hinton Road.

The town was the site of an important meeting between the barons and representatives of the King in 1215, the year of Magna Carta, and it is believed that parts of the document were drafted in the town. Another meeting followed in 1264. The Hospital of St James and St John was founded in 1150 later passing to Magdalen College, Oxford which, at the Dissolution of the Monasteries, founded a grammar school there. This existed until 1972 when it became a co-educational comprehensive school.

The parish church of St Peter was mostly built in the 13 th and 14 th centuries.

Brackley's fortunes dwindled during the Tudor period and John Leland called it 'this por towne' when he visited. Nonetheless, the town retained its right to elect a mayor and by 1547 it was electing two Members of Parliament.

During the Civil War, Brackley was on the side of the Roundheads. It is written that Royalist troops, travelling from Northampton to Oxford, were attacked and routed by the townsfolk of Brackley in spite of them having only very basic weapons. However, the spoils of the battle were worth some £6,000 to £7,000 and many local people suddenly acquired horses. Because of Brackley's central location, it was often a stopping place for troops during the Civil War.

As coaches came to prominence as a form of public transport, Brackley again prospered. It was a staging point and several coaching inns, established at this time, are still in existence albeit not in their original format.

The town was dominated by the Egerton family (family name of the Earl of Ellesmere and the Duke of Bridgewater) from the early 17 th century until the Reform Act of 1832. Brackley then lost its two MPs and its earlier importance and became a rather quiet market town.

In the mid 19 th century the opening of the LNWR railway from Banbury to Bletchley saw Brackley's first railway station. Some 50 years later, the Great Central Railway opened its extension from Leicester to London (Marylebone) and Brackley Central railway station was opened. This was the last of the main lines to London. Sadly, the Beeching cuts saw the closure of both railway stations and both lines.

In the last 50 years, there has been a considerable growth of the town, both in terms of population and in industrial activity where principal areas include poultry processing, the manufacture of soap and allied products, the motor racing industry and many other manufacturing companies.

In 1974, with the reorganisation of local government, Brackley lost its historic borough status (after more than 700 years) and became a Town Council, within the district of South Northamptonshire.

Brackley has through the years faced many challenges of change and development and continues to do so.

The Brackley Market Town Partnership was set up in 2002 and has been renamed Brackley Vision. Sponsored in part by the Countryside Agency, this continues to work through its action plan with the express intention of revitalising the town centre and guiding the town through its immediate future development.