Braishfield is a village and civil parish north of Romsey in Hampshire, England. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English bræsc + feld, meaning 'open land with small branches or brushwood'.[3] The hamlet of Pucknall lies due east of the village.
| Braishfield | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Braishfield Location within Hampshire | |
| Population | 643 [1] 684 (2011 Census)[2] |
| OS grid reference | SU3725 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Romsey |
| Postcode district | SO51 |
| Dialling code | 01794 |
| Police | Hampshire and Isle of Wight |
| Fire | Hampshire and Isle of Wight |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| UK Parliament | |
Geology
editThe parish lies on the northern edge of the Hampshire Basin, with chalk in the north. To the south and east of the village this is overlain by Palaeocene sands and clays of the Lambeth Group. At the southern edge the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens are on younger deposits of Eocene age, sloping from a ridge of the Nursling sands into a valley of London Clay.[4]
History
editArchaeological discoveries in Braishfield include the remains of some of the oldest dwellings to be found in Great Britain and the first Neolithic dwelling site of any kind to be discovered in Hampshire.[5]
Higgins James Bown of Laurel Cottage, was the village wheelwright, carpenter, chairmaker and undertaker. H.J. Bown died in July 1954 aged 88 years. His woodworking tools were donated to the Museum of English Rural Life.[6]
Places of interest
editThe Church of England parish church of All Saints was built in 1855 to a design by William Butterfield.[7]
Transport
editThe Village has neither main roads nor railways, but is crossed by the Monarch's Way long-distance footpath.
Sport
editBraishfield has a long running football club, who play their home games at the Recreation Ground. Founded in 1907, Braishfield football club run two adult sides in the Southampton League, a 1st team [8] and a reserve team. They also have six boys teams at various age groups in the Test Way Youth League known as the Braishfield bees. There is also a village cricket club.
Braishfield is well known for Ultimate frisbee, having one of the longest running Ultimate frisbee Clubs in the UK. They have played every Sunday since founding in 1998. In August 2023 they defeated Southampton City Ultimate 9-6.[9] [10]
Local folklore and legend
editBraishfield is reputedly haunted.[11]
Media appearances
editMuch of the 1979-1981 television series Worzel Gummidge was filmed in and around Braishfield.[12]
Twin towns
editBraishfield is twinned with:
References
edit- ^ "Parish Headcounts, Area: Braishfield CP". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. 2001. Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2008.
- ^ "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
- ^ Mills, A.D: A Dictionary of English Place-Names, page 47. Oxford University Press, 1991.
- ^ British Geological Survey, 2002, England & Wales Sheet 299: Winchester, 1:50,000 Geology Series, Keyworth, Nottingham:British Geological Survey, ISBN 0-7518-3340-1
- ^ "Braishfield - Archaeological Sites and Remains". Hampshire Treasures: Vol 9 (Test Valley South),P17. Hampshire County Council. Archived from the original on 12 March 2005. Retrieved 28 February 2008.
- ^ "Higgins James Bown (wood worker)". Bown. Museum of English Rural Life. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
- ^ O’Brien, Charles; Bailey, Bruce; Pevsner, Nikolaus; Lloyd, David W. (2018). The Buildings of England Hampshire: South. Yale University Press. p. 176. ISBN 9780300225037.
- ^ "PRE-SEASON UPDATE - News - BRAISHFIELD FOOTBALL CLUB". www.pitchero.com. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
- ^ "Braishfield Ultimate Frisbee".
- ^ "Braishfield Ultimate Frisbee".
- ^ Scanlan, David (2009). Paranormal Hampshire. Amberley Publishing. ISBN 978-1848682573.
- ^ "Filming in Test Valley". 17 March 2020.
- ^ "British towns twinned with French towns". Archant Community Media Ltd. Archived from the original on 5 July 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2013.