Brackley is a market town* located West Northamptonshire, England. It was built on the trade routs between London, Birmingham, Cambridge and Oxford and historically based on the wool and lace trade.
* a small town in the countryside, especially in Europe, that has a regular market and acts as a business centre for surrounding farms and villages (Cambridge Online Dictionary)
WHEN IT APPEARED | HISTORY
The name of the town first appeared in the Domesday Book in 1086 as Brachelai and in 1230 in the Pipe Rolls as Brackeley.
In 1215, Brackley was the place of an important meeting between the representatives of the King and barons, during the period of approving the Magna Carta (a royal charter of rights accepted by King John which protected the rights of freemen, serfs, slaves or prisoners). The document was to be signed in Barkley, but eventually it was done at Runnymede.
Market days were held every Sunday until 1218, but they were then changed to Wednesdays. Nowadays, market days are held on Friday mornings, and a Farmers Market comes to town on the third Saturday morning of every month.
ARCHITECTURE AND BUILDINGS
St Peter's Brackley Church
The Church has a rich history. It is believed it appeared for the first time as a place of worship in the 7th century, but the first records of its existence exist only from the15th century and they are very few.
The oldest parts of this church that are seen date form the Norman times, from about 1100. At that epoch, the church had a form of a cross and was of a smaller size than the nowadays' one.
The west tower was constructed in the 13th century. Apart from the the figures of St Peter and St Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln, there can be also seen the faces of a man and a dog. The legends says that there was a priest who quarrelled with the local lord and was then buried alive. His faithful dog jumped into the grave of his owner and was buried alive with him. Their grave can be found in the churchyard up to this day.
Brackley Town Hall
Brackley Town Hall was opened in 1707 and built in Georgian architecture. Nowadays, this place is used for any kind of events, as well as for weddings.
LEISURE ACTIVITIES
Brackley has various football clubs, squash and tennis clubs. As this town is near the Silverstone motor racing circuit, it has Formula One industry. The town park belongs to the Nation Trust and hosts local festivals.
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