Bramley Camp
Encyclopedia
Bramley Camp is a British Army
training camp, located south of the village of Bramley, Hampshire
. Opened during World War I
as a ammunition depot, the camp now serves wholly as a training facility.
opened on the large areas of scrub land in north Hampshire
, the depot was opened during World War I for the manufacture and storage of ammunition. To enable both safe manufacture and storage of munitions, well spaced railway tracks were built both sides of the Great Western Railway
line connecting Basingstoke
and Reading
. The tracks were connected with each other at their northern and southern ends, and the tracks on either side of the running line were connected with each other by means of two tunnels under the GWR running lines. The tracks in the depot served various factories and stores, and the scale of the depot can be gauged that in a site measuring only 1¼ miles from north to south, there were over 30 miles of track - enough to cover the distance from Basingstoke to Reading and back.
A spur northwards from the military yard reached the south side of Bramley (Hampshire) railway station
, which allowed through running services for depot workers. These started in 1922, but suspended during World War II
, and restarted after the war using stock from London Transport
's Piccadilly line
. The passenger services ceased in 1970, railway services to the depot ceased completely on 1 March 1987 with a special for rail enthusiasts.
The Central Ammunition Depot was served by the Garrison Church of St. Barbara (known locally as St. Barbara's Chapel). The register of baptisms (1956 to 1975) is now held by the National Archives, Kew. The stained glass window from St. Barbara's Chapel was removed to Bramley Church when the chapel was de-consecrated.
series Midsomer Murders
has been filmed. In Area B, located near to the camp's main base, there is the shell of a Wessex helicopter, adjacent to this there is a respirator test chamber. In Area C the Channel 4
television series Scrapheap Challenge
was filmed, but this has now been removed and the site is undergoing soil treatment.
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
training camp, located south of the village of Bramley, Hampshire
Bramley, Hampshire
Bramley is a village and parish in Hampshire, UK. In the 2001 census it had a population of 3,348. It has a village shop, bakery, estate agency, pub and a railway station...
. Opened during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
as a ammunition depot, the camp now serves wholly as a training facility.
Bramley Ordnance Depot
Bramley Ordnance Depot, later known as Bramley Central Ammunition Depotopened on the large areas of scrub land in north Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, the depot was opened during World War I for the manufacture and storage of ammunition. To enable both safe manufacture and storage of munitions, well spaced railway tracks were built both sides of the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
line connecting Basingstoke
Basingstoke railway station
Basingstoke railway station, in the town of Basingstoke in the county of Hampshire in England, is on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo, with local and fast services operated by South West Trains. It is also the terminus of First Great Western local services on the Reading to...
and Reading
Reading railway station
Reading railway station is a major rail transport hub in the English town of Reading. It is situated on the northern edge of the town centre, close to the main retail and commercial areas, and also the River Thames...
. The tracks were connected with each other at their northern and southern ends, and the tracks on either side of the running line were connected with each other by means of two tunnels under the GWR running lines. The tracks in the depot served various factories and stores, and the scale of the depot can be gauged that in a site measuring only 1¼ miles from north to south, there were over 30 miles of track - enough to cover the distance from Basingstoke to Reading and back.
A spur northwards from the military yard reached the south side of Bramley (Hampshire) railway station
Bramley (Hampshire) railway station
Bramley railway station is a railway station in the village of Bramley, Hampshire, England.The station is served by First Great Western — local services. The station is north of Basingstoke. The line opened in 1848 but Bramley station did not open until 1895.-Services:From Mondays to Saturdays...
, which allowed through running services for depot workers. These started in 1922, but suspended during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and restarted after the war using stock from London Transport
London Transport Executive
The London Transport Executive was the organisation responsible for public transport in the Greater London area, UK, between 1948-1962. In common with all London transport authorities from 1933 to 2000, the public name and operational brand of the organisation was London Transport.-Creation:On 1...
's Piccadilly line
Piccadilly Line
The Piccadilly line is a line of the London Underground, coloured dark blue on the Tube map. It is the fifth busiest line on the Underground network judged by the number of passengers transported per year. It is mainly a deep-level line, running from the north to the west of London via Zone 1, with...
. The passenger services ceased in 1970, railway services to the depot ceased completely on 1 March 1987 with a special for rail enthusiasts.
The Central Ammunition Depot was served by the Garrison Church of St. Barbara (known locally as St. Barbara's Chapel). The register of baptisms (1956 to 1975) is now held by the National Archives, Kew. The stained glass window from St. Barbara's Chapel was removed to Bramley Church when the chapel was de-consecrated.
Bramley Camp
Following closure of the ammunitions depot, the facility was renamed Bramley Camp. Sub divided into three areas as training facility. Area A is the smallest, where parts of the ITV1ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
series Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders is a British television detective drama that has aired on ITV since 1997. The show is based on the books by Caroline Graham, as originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz. The lead character is DCI Tom Barnaby who works for Causton CID. When Nettles left the show in 2011 he was...
has been filmed. In Area B, located near to the camp's main base, there is the shell of a Wessex helicopter, adjacent to this there is a respirator test chamber. In Area C the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
television series Scrapheap Challenge
Scrapheap Challenge
Scrapheap Challenge is an engineering game show produced by RDF Media and broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK. In the show, teams of contestants have 10 hours in which to build a working machine that can do a specific task, using materials available in a scrapheap. The format was exported to the...
was filmed, but this has now been removed and the site is undergoing soil treatment.