Bradfield, United Kingdom
Bradfield is a town of 1,161 people in England, United Kingdom.
Why visit Bradfield
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 12 parks and trails, 10 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Gatehampton Railway Bridge, Whitchurch Bridge, Basildon Park and Englefield House.
Weather in Bradfield
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Bradfield
Bradfield is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England. At the 2021 census, the parish had a population of 2,208, which was slightly more than the 2,177 recorded at the 2011 census. 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 village is the home of the public school Bradfield College.
From the Wikipedia article Bradfield, Berkshire (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Gatehampton Railway Bridge
Bridge · 4.3 mi
Railway bridge in Lower Basildon, Berkshire, England, UK
Whitchurch Bridge
Bridge · 3.3 mi
Bridge between West Berkshire and South Oxfordshire, England,UK
Museums and landmarks3
Basildon Park
Museum · 3.5 mi
Grade I listed historic house museum in West Berkshire, England, UK
Parks, trails and playgrounds12
Hartslock
Park · 4.3 mi
Wood and nature reserve by the Thames in south Oxfordshire, UK
Hosehill Lake
Park · 3.3 mi
Local nature reserve in Berkshire, England, UK
Arlington Business Park
Park · 2.8 mi
Goodman business park in Reading, England
Blundells Copse
Park · 4.3 mi
Local nature reserve in Tilehurst, Reading, UK
Bucklebury Farm Park
Park · 3.4 mi
Animal park located in Berkshire, England
Calcot Park
Park · 4.2 mi
Country house in Tilehurst, West Berkshire, Berkshire, England, UK
Restaurants and cafes10
The Volunteer
Bar and pub · 2.2 mi
Church Street, Theale
Mo-Th 12:00-23:00, Fr-Sa 12:00-00:00, Su 12:00-22:00
The Thatcher's Arms
Bar and pub · 2.0 mi
North Street, Reading
Mo-Fr 12:00-14:00,17:30-23:00; Sa 12:00-14:00,18:00-23:00; Su...
History
In the 12th-century Abingdon Chronicle, Bradenfeld is described as forming part of Abingdon Abbey in 699. The Domesday Book refers to the area as Bradefelt. The name may derive from the Anglo-Saxon brād feld meaning 'broad piece of open land'.
In the 13th century Walter of Reading, pastor of Bradfield, served as clerk to Edmund Crouchback, the king’s brother and accompanied him on a number of overseas visits.
In the mid 18th century, the village was the site of two watermills, one fewer than had been recorded in the Domesday Book 700 years prior.
In 1835, the Bradfield Poor Law Union was formed, and a workhouse, designed by Sampson Kempthorne, was built to accommodate 250 people. The small church of St Simon and St Jude was also built on the site. Between 1948 and 1991 the site was known as Wayland Hospital, a residential home for people with learning difficulties. Housing was built on the site at the end of the 20th century.
A church in Bradfield is first referenced in the charter of Dudley Priory in the early 12th century.
Read more of the history
The advowson belonged to the Lord of Bradfield Manor. It passed to Thomas Stevens in 1842, who funded the restoration and rebuilding of the Church of England parish church of St Andrew by George Gilbert Scott in 1847. The 16th-century tower and 14th-century north nave predate the Victorian restoration. The church is a Grade II* listed building. Stevens went on to found Bradfield College.
In 1982, Catherine Middleton, the future Princess of Wales, was christened at St Andrew's Church.
The last service was held in the church in 2014, and it was bought from the Diocese of Oxford by Bradfield College in 2019.
Bradfield's war memorial is the last work of George Blackall Simonds, which commemorates the deaths of members of the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers in the First World War, including his son.
From the History section of Bradfield, Berkshire on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Bradfield
- Oriana WilsonBritish humanitarian (1874–1945)
- Frederick HillEnglish cricketer and Anglican priest
- Peter Nelson(1913-1998)
Born in Bradfield, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship12
Shopping1
Schools, colleges and libraries9
Map of Bradfield
52 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
RAF Benson (BEX) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 12 miles away.
- Streatley 5 mi north, about 8 min by car
- Thatcham 6 mi southwest, about 10 min by car
- Reading 7 mi east, about 11 min by car
- Tadley 7 mi south, about 11 min by car
- Compton 7 mi northwest, about 11 min by car
- Newbury 9 mi west, about 14 min by car
- Lower Earley 9 mi east, about 15 min by car
- Rotherfield Peppard 9 mi northeast, about 14 min by car
- Wallingford 10 mi north, about 17 min by car
- Sonning 10 mi east, about 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Bradfield
.jpg){kind=link}
Keep exploring
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- River Pang in Bradfield, Berkshire, Geoff Pick., CC BY-SA 2.0
- Bradfield Church (St. Andrew), hugh llewelyn, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 2008-05 Gatehampton Railway Bridge, Nancy, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Basildon House. - panoramio, grumpylumixuser, CC BY 3.0
- Hosehill Lake - March 2017, Nathan Harvey, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St Michaels Church Tilehurst, Colin Bates., CC BY-SA 2.0
- St Bartholomew's Church, Lower Basildon, MalcolmGould at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Holy Trinity Theale (south), BabelStone, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Englefield House, BabelStone, CC BY-SA 3.0
- St Mark's Englefield, BabelStone, CC BY-SA 3.0
- St Laurence Tidmarsh, BabelStone, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Greyhound Tidmarsh, Mariegriffiths, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hartslock 03, Chris j wood, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Uk-whitchurch-bridge, The original uploader was Chris j wood at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 4.0
- Theale, Crown Inn, Shubimperatrix, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, 4004, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, 4004, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, 4004, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, 4004, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, 4004, CC BY-SA 4.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Page built November 10, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.