Bray, Berkshire
Encyclopedia
Bray, sometimes known as Bray on Thames, is a village and civil parish in the English
county of Berkshire
. It stands on the banks of the River Thames
, just south-east of Maidenhead
. It is famous as the village mentioned in the song The Vicar of Bray
. The village contains two of the four three-Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK, and is the home of Bray Studios
of "Hammer Horror
" fame.
The parish of Bray includes a number of other villages and hamlets. It has an area of 2498 hectares (6,172.7 acre) and a population of 8,425 at the 2001 census
.
s, often greens, which were originally scattered amongst the dense woodland of Windsor
Forest that once covered the area. These include: Bray Wick
, Holyport
, Water Oakley
, Oakley Green
, Moneyrow Green, Stud Green, Foxley Green, Touchen End, Braywoodside
, Hawthorn Hill
and Fifield
.
awards, while its cricket club is the oldest in the county, having been first established in 1798. Bray is a very affluent residential area, as well as being a place popular with tourists exploring the Thames. There are many walks and a number of well-known eating establishments. Two of its restaurants have three Michelin stars
: The Fat Duck
, which was judged the best restaurant in the world by Restaurant
magazine in 2005, and the Waterside Inn
, which ranked 19 in Restaurants list. This is particularly significant as there are only four (as of 2010) three-star restaurants in Great Britain. Bray is home to Bray Studios
of "Hammer Horror
" fame.
There are several expensive houses on the river upstream of Bray Lock
and they have been referred to as 'Millionaires row' in the national press. The flooding risk of these houses has recently been decreased by the Jubilee River
a large drainage ditch between Maidenhead and Eton
.
of St Michael was built in 1293, supposedly to replace a Saxon
church at Water Oakley
. It has a number of sculptures which may have come from th earlier church, including a damaged Sheela na Gig
. It is best known to brass rubbers
for housing the superb memorial brass
of 1378 to Sir John Foxley, the Constable of Southampton Castle
, and his two wives. One of the local cottages has a tunnel which it is believed leads to the church and served as an escape route for clergymen.
to which he belonged.
, in the Thames, is associated with the 3rd Duke of Marlborough
, and still houses two amusing structures that he built and furnished with paintings of monkeys.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. It stands on the banks of the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
, just south-east of Maidenhead
Maidenhead
Maidenhead is a town and unparished area within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London.-History:...
. It is famous as the village mentioned in the song The Vicar of Bray
The Vicar of Bray (song)
"The Vicar of Bray" is a satirical songrecounting the career of the Vicar of Bray and his contortions of principle in order to retain his ecclesiastic office despite the changes in the Established Church through the course of several English monarchs...
. The village contains two of the four three-Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK, and is the home of Bray Studios
Bray Studios (UK)
Bray Studios is a film and television facility at Bray, near Windsor, Berkshire, England. The films Alien and The Rocky Horror Picture Show were shot there...
of "Hammer Horror
Hammer Film Productions
Hammer Film Productions is a film production company based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic "Hammer Horror" films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Hammer also produced science fiction, thrillers, film noir and comedies and in later...
" fame.
The parish of Bray includes a number of other villages and hamlets. It has an area of 2498 hectares (6,172.7 acre) and a population of 8,425 at the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
.
Geography
Bray has always been a very large parish, although it has shrunk considerably since Maidenhead became independent in 1894. As well as the main village, the parish contains a large number of villages and hamletHamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
s, often greens, which were originally scattered amongst the dense woodland of Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
Forest that once covered the area. These include: Bray Wick
Bray Wick
Bray Wick is a village in Berkshire, England....
, Holyport
Holyport
Holyport is a village in the civil parish of Bray, about 2 miles south of Maidenhead in the English county of Berkshire.-Amenities:Despite its size, Holyport possesses a small retail area...
, Water Oakley
Water Oakley
Water Oakley is a hamlet on the River Thames in the civil parish of Bray in the English county of Berkshire.It is the location of both Bray Studios and the Oakley Court Hotel. It first appeared on maps around 1800. However, the name 'Oakley' is derived from the Old English ac-leah which translates...
, Oakley Green
Oakley Green
Oakley Green is a village in Berkshire, England. Its name is derived from "Oak Clearing," and a green used by farmers from the nearby parish of Bray.- History :...
, Moneyrow Green, Stud Green, Foxley Green, Touchen End, Braywoodside
Braywoodside
Braywoodside is a hamlet in Berkshire, England....
, Hawthorn Hill
Hawthorn Hill, Berkshire
Hawthorn Hill is a hamlet in Berkshire, England, within the civil parish of Warfield.The settlement lies at the junction of the A3095 and A330 roads, and is approximately north of Bracknell....
and Fifield
Fifield, Berkshire
Fifield is a village in the civil parish of Bray in the English county of Berkshire.The settlement lies near to the junction of the M4 and A404 motorways, and is situated approximately from Maidenhead and Windsor ....
.
Village character
Despite being located on the very edge of Maidenhead, Bray retains an English village character. It won best 'Small Village' in the 2005 Britain in BloomBritain in Bloom
RHS Britain in Bloom, supported by Anglian Home Improvements, is the largest horticultural campaign in the United Kingdom. It was first held in 1963, initiated by the British Tourist Board based on the example set by Fleurissement de France. It has been organised by the Royal Horticultural Society ...
awards, while its cricket club is the oldest in the county, having been first established in 1798. Bray is a very affluent residential area, as well as being a place popular with tourists exploring the Thames. There are many walks and a number of well-known eating establishments. Two of its restaurants have three Michelin stars
Michelin Guide
The Michelin Guide is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. The term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide, which awards the Michelin stars...
: The Fat Duck
The Fat Duck
The Fat Duck is a restaurant run by chef Heston Blumenthal in Bray, Berkshire, England. The restaurant is known for its menu of unusual dishes, created following the principles of molecular gastronomy examples include: "snail porridge", "sardine on toast sorbet", "bacon and egg ice cream", and...
, which was judged the best restaurant in the world by Restaurant
Restaurant (magazine)
Restaurant is a British magazine aimed at chefs, restaurant proprietors and other catering professionals that concentrates on the fine dining end of the industry. It produces an annual list of what it considers to be the best 50 restaurants, based on the votes of 600 "chefs, restaurateurs, critics...
magazine in 2005, and the Waterside Inn
Waterside Inn
Waterside Inn, located in Bray, Berkshire, England, was founded by the brothers Michel and Albert Roux after the success of Le Gavroche. It is currently run by Michel's son, Alain...
, which ranked 19 in Restaurants list. This is particularly significant as there are only four (as of 2010) three-star restaurants in Great Britain. Bray is home to Bray Studios
Bray Studios (UK)
Bray Studios is a film and television facility at Bray, near Windsor, Berkshire, England. The films Alien and The Rocky Horror Picture Show were shot there...
of "Hammer Horror
Hammer Film Productions
Hammer Film Productions is a film production company based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic "Hammer Horror" films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Hammer also produced science fiction, thrillers, film noir and comedies and in later...
" fame.
There are several expensive houses on the river upstream of Bray Lock
Bray Lock
Bray Lock is a lock and weir on the River Thames in England near Bray and Dorney and is just above the M4 Bridge across the Thames. The lock is on the Buckinghamshire side of the river on the opposite bank from Bray itself and Maidenhead which are in Berkshire...
and they have been referred to as 'Millionaires row' in the national press. The flooding risk of these houses has recently been decreased by the Jubilee River
Jubilee River
The Jubilee River is a hydraulic channel in southern England. It is 11.6 km in length and is on average 45 metres wide. It was constructed in the late 1990s and early 2000s to take overflow from the River Thames and so alleviate flooding to areas in and around the towns of Maidenhead,...
a large drainage ditch between Maidenhead and Eton
Eton, Berkshire
Eton is a town and civil parish in Berkshire, England, lying on the opposite bank of the River Thames to Windsor and connected to it by Windsor Bridge. The parish also includes the large village of Eton Wick, 2 miles west of the town, and has a population of 4,980. Eton was in Buckinghamshire until...
.
Parish church
The Church of England parish churchChurch of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of St Michael was built in 1293, supposedly to replace a Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
church at Water Oakley
Water Oakley
Water Oakley is a hamlet on the River Thames in the civil parish of Bray in the English county of Berkshire.It is the location of both Bray Studios and the Oakley Court Hotel. It first appeared on maps around 1800. However, the name 'Oakley' is derived from the Old English ac-leah which translates...
. It has a number of sculptures which may have come from th earlier church, including a damaged Sheela na Gig
Sheela Na Gig
Sheela na gigs are figurative carvings of naked women displaying an exaggerated vulva. They are found on churches, castles and other buildings, particularly in Ireland and Britain, sometimes together with male figures. One of the best examples may be found in the Round Tower at Rattoo, in County...
. It is best known to brass rubbers
Brass rubbing
Brass rubbing was originally a largely British enthusiasm for reproducing onto paper monumental brasses – commemorative brass plaques found in churches, usually originally on the floor, from between the 13th and 16th centuries. The concept of recording textures of things is more generally called...
for housing the superb memorial brass
Monumental brass
Monumental brass is a species of engraved sepulchral memorial which in the early part of the 13th century began to partially take the place of three-dimensional monuments and effigies carved in stone or wood...
of 1378 to Sir John Foxley, the Constable of Southampton Castle
Southampton Castle
Southampton Castle was located in the town of Southampton in Hampshire, England. Constructed after the Norman conquest of England, it was located in the north-west corner of the town overlooking the River Test, initially as a wooden motte and bailey design...
, and his two wives. One of the local cottages has a tunnel which it is believed leads to the church and served as an escape route for clergymen.
Almshouse
The Jesus Hospital is a red-brick group of almhouses, founded in 1609 by William Goddard, whose full-size effigy stands over the entrance, to house thirty-four of the aged poor of Bray and six of the Worshipful Company of FishmongersWorshipful Company of Fishmongers
The Worshipful Company of Fishmongers is one of the 108 Livery Companies of the City of London, being a guild of the sellers of fish and seafood in the City...
to which he belonged.
Monkey Island Lodge
Monkey IslandMonkey Island, Bray
Monkey Island is a small island in the River Thames in England, on the reach above Boveney Lock near the village of Bray, Berkshire. It is now occupied by a hotel, but sports an interesting history involving grotesquely painted monkeys and the Duke of Marlborough.- Origins :Although painted monkeys...
, in the Thames, is associated with the 3rd Duke of Marlborough
Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough
Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough KG, PC , known as The Earl of Sunderland between 1729 and 1733, was a British soldier and politician. He briefly served as Lord Privy Seal in 1755...
, and still houses two amusing structures that he built and furnished with paintings of monkeys.
Notable residents
- Rolf HarrisRolf HarrisRolf Harris, CBE, AM is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, composer, painter and television personality.Born in Perth, Western Australia, Harris was a champion swimmer before studying art. He moved to England in 1952, where he started to appear on television programmes on which he drew the...
- Artist, musician, TV presenter - Sir Michael ParkinsonMichael ParkinsonSir Michael Parkinson, CBE is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his interview programme, Parkinson, from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007.- Early life :...
- journalist and TV presenter - Heston BlumenthalHeston BlumenthalHeston Marc Blumenthal OBE is an English chef and owner of The Fat Duck, a three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Bray, Berkshire voted Best Restaurant in the UK by The Good Food Guide 2007 and 2009, and voted best restaurant in the world by Restaurant magazine in 2005...
- the TV chef runs The Fat DuckThe Fat DuckThe Fat Duck is a restaurant run by chef Heston Blumenthal in Bray, Berkshire, England. The restaurant is known for its menu of unusual dishes, created following the principles of molecular gastronomy examples include: "snail porridge", "sardine on toast sorbet", "bacon and egg ice cream", and...
and Hinds Head Hotel restaurants in Bray
Popular culture
- In the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
faux cooking show Posh NoshPosh NoshPosh Nosh is a 2003 BBC television programme parodying television chefs; the title and basic outline a reference to a cooking show pilot pitched by Neil Hamilton and Christine Hamilton. Written by Jon Canter and Arabella Weir from an idea by Weir, and directed and script edited by Chris Langham,...
, Simon and Minty Marchmont ran a restaurant near Bray.