Welcome to Brampton
Brampton is a large village with some 5,000 residents and is situated 2 miles south west of Huntingdon. It is 16 miles from Cambridge and an hour from Kings Cross by train. It has direct access to the A1 and A14 and nearby rail links to London, Peterborough and beyond. There is also a recently introduced guided bus that goes from St. Ives to Cambridge with a link from Huntingdon. A regular bus service passes through the village en route from Huntingdon and St Neots. Hinchingbrooke Hospital serves Brampton and the surrounding area.
Schools
Brampton Village Primary School (two form of entry) is beside the village green (once a pond) and caters for the 4+ to 11 year olds. It has a pre-school section, The Brambles, for the 3 – 4s and a "Kids Club" for "before and after" school care.
There are two schools for the 11 – 18 year olds in Huntingdon, Hinchingbrooke (once the home of the Earls of Sandwich) and St. Peter's. There is also a College of Further Education in Huntingdon.
Brampton also caters for the younger children with two nursery schools and a playgroup.
There are two churches in Brampton: St Mary Magdalene – the Parish Church – parts of which date back to the 12th and 13th century; and the Methodist Church on the village green. The nearest Roman Catholic Churches are in Buckden and Huntingdon.
St Mary Magdalene Church
St Mary Magdalene Church sits prominently on Church Road.
Parts of the church date from the thirteen hundreds, with the nave added in the fifteenth century and the current tower in 1635. The stained glass windows include some particularly fine examples of the art by Edwardian glassmakers Kemp and Tower.
Everyone is welcome, and there is parking just a short walk away at the Church Hall
The Parish church also has a large tranquil cemetery.
Churchyard and Cemetery
St. Mary Magdalene
The churchyard of our parish church is not maintained by the church itself. Responsibility has been handed over to the parish council. Each year money is set aside to look after the paths, trees and grass. We are also responsible for topple testing memorial stones, to avoid danger to members of the public and our workforce.
A few years ago the parish replaced a rose garden with a memorial garden where local families could plant a rose in memory of a family member. It has created a reflective, gentle space.
Our churchyard has a "residents only" rule to avoid overcrowding (the exception being a resident who had to leave home for full-time care outside Brampton).
The Montague plot for the Earls of Sandwich is housed here. They were local landowners for many generations and included the eponymous John Montagu, the 4th earl who asked for some beef between two slices of bread so that he could stay at the gaming table. Others then asked for "the same as Sandwich", and rest, as they say, is history . Earl Montagu also sponsored Captain Cook who thoughtfully named the Sandwich Islands (now the Hawaiian islands) after his patron.
There is history a-plenty in our churchyard including a grave for a black family slave, who must have been highly thought of indeed to be afforded such an honour.
Shops
Brampton is very fortunate to have a good selection of shops – there is a Post Office, chemist, florist, two hairdressers, Co-op, butchers, corner store, art gallery, gift shop, pet food store, off licence, fish and chip shop and a Chinese takeaway as well as a car repair garage and car show rooms.
Gardeners are catered for with Frosts Garden Centre and River Lane Nurseries.
We also have a GP practice, a dental surgery a chiropractor and a veterinary practice.
Sport
The Memorial Playing Fields were dedicated to those who lost their lives in the two world wars. Ornamental trees have been planted in their memory. There are 5 football pitches for both junior and senior teams with cricket played in the summer season. A multi-use games area (MUGA) is in place for tennis, basketball and 5-a-side football. There is also a well-used skate park.
Also on the playing fields is a play park for younger children, a youth shelter and a memorial garden with seating and an avenue of trees donated in memory of "loved ones". There is another smaller play park towards the western end of the village.
Brampton has its own golf club – an 18 hole course with a driving range and pro shop. It also has bar and catering facilities open to non members.
We also have a nationally recognised bowling green with a thriving club.
For serious gardeners the Parish Council has 83 allotments which are rented out.
Huntingdon Race Course is also within the parish.