Bradenham | |
---|---|
St Botolph's Church, Bradenham |
|
Bradenham shown within Buckinghamshire | |
Population | 722 (2011 Census) |
OS grid reference | SU823971 |
District | |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | High Wycombe |
Postcode district | HP14 |
Dialling code | 01494 |
Police | Thames Valley |
Fire | Buckinghamshire |
Ambulance | South Central |
EU Parliament | South East England |
UK Parliament | |
Bradenham is a village and civil parish within Wycombe district in Buckinghamshire, England. It is near Saunderton, off the main A4010 road between Princes Risborough and High Wycombe.
The village name is Anglo-Saxon and means 'broad enclosure', referring to the fact that the village sits in a broad valley among the surrounding Chiltern Hills. In the Domesday Book of 1086, the village was recorded as Bradeham.
The Parish Church of St Botolph was restored in 1863 by G.E. Street and the south door dates from the early Norman period. The rectory on the main road is from the 18th century. The houses around the village green are mainly brick and flint, but include the distinctive 18th century stuccoed 'White House' with pointed windows and castellations. There is a pub on the main road called the Red Lion. The whole village of Bradenham has been owned by the National Trust since 1956. They market it under the name Bradenham Village. The Strike Command Operations Centre (STCOC) formerly the Primary War Headquarters (PWHQ) bunker was built by RAF Strike Command on the National Trust land to the north east of the village between 1983 and 1985, in spite of opposition including a peace camp. In front of the manor house is a small, slightly sloping cricket pitch which is used by Bradenham Cricket Club. Village news and activities are documented in the monthly "Contact" magazine, which covers Bradenham plus the nearby villages of Bledlow Ridge, West Wycombe, Radnage and Piddington.