Bray | |
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St Michael's Church |
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Bray shown within Berkshire | |
Population | 4,646 (2001) 9,110 (2011 Census including Burchett Green , Hawthorn Hill , Oakley Hill and Paley Street) |
OS grid reference | SU9079 |
Civil parish |
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Unitary authority | |
Ceremonial county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | MAIDENHEAD |
Postcode district | SL6 |
Dialling code | 01628 |
Police | Thames Valley |
Fire | Royal Berkshire |
Ambulance | South Central |
EU Parliament | South East England |
UK Parliament | |
Bray, occasionally Bray on Thames, is a large village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire. It borders the River Thames, and lies to the south and south-southeast of Maidenhead, to which it is attached.
The civil parish of Bray is far larger than the village itself and includes a number of other villages and hamlets over an area of 2,498 hectares (6,170 acres) 24.98 km2 (9.64 sq mi). It had a population of 8,425 at the 2001 census, increasing to 9,110 at the 2011 Census.
The village is mentioned in the comedic song The Vicar of Bray. Bray contains two of the four three-Michelin-starred restaurants in the United Kingdom and has several large business premises including Bray Studios, where the first series of Hammer Horror films were produced.
Bray sits on the banks of the River Thames, 1.5 miles south of Maidenhead town centre and 5 miles north-west of Windsor. The B3028 road runs through the centre of Bray, and the A308 (Maidenhead-Windsor road) runs between Bray and the adjoining village of Holyport.
The M4 motorway junction 8/9 is approximately 1 mile from Bray, and Maidenhead railway station is 1.5 miles away in Maidenhead town centre.
Bray is a large parish, although its area has shrunk considerably since Maidenhead was detached. As well as the village, the parish contains a large number of villages and hamlets, often greens, which were originally scattered amongst the remains of 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.