Editing Brading (section)

==History==

[[File:Brading Church, I. of Wight (BM 1880,0807.319).jpg|thumb|left|Brading Church, in an 1820s lithograph]]

===Early history===
From early times, Brading ranked as an important Island port. The ancient name of Brerdynge, from which 'Brading' is derived, probably meant ''the people living by the ridge of the [[downland|Downs]]'', and dates from at least 683.

{{Main|Brading Roman Villa}}

The [[Roman Villa]] south of the town,<ref>[http://www.iowight.com/gallery/brading/bradingnewromanvillahousing.jpg Brading Roman Villa picture], [http://www.iowight.com/ Isle of Wight pictures website]</ref> and Roman relics discovered locally, indicate that this was an important seaport 2,000 years ago. Signs of prehistoric activity have also been found on [[Brading Down]].

History records that [[Wilfrid of Ripon|St Wilfrid]] came to the island during the 680s, landed at Brading, preached there to the islanders, and began the conversion of the Island. [[Bede]] states that King [[Caedwalla]] of Wessex killed the pagan population "with merciless slaughter" and replaced them with his own Christian followers, dedicating a quarter of the Isle of Wight to Wilfrid and the Church. Wilfrid would thus have been literally preaching to the converted because everyone else was dead.
This legend was illustrated by a tableau at the Waxworks.

===Royal charter and governance===
Brading was first granted a charter in 1280, unusually for the time directly from King [[Edward I of England|Edward I]], rather than the Lord of the Isle (who was its private owner).  This led to it being known as the 'King's Town'.

The charter granted to Brading by [[Edward VI of England|Edward VI]] in 1548 refers to the previous charter granted by Edward I.  This charter allowed the town to hold two annual fairs.  Nowadays the fair is called [[Brading Day]] and is held over the first weekend in July.

Because of its status as a town, Brading has a mayor and an elected town council.

In medieval times the town was governed by the [[Steward (office)|steward]], [[bailiff]]s and 13 [[jurat]]s, and returned two [[Member of Parliament|MPs]] to the [[Westminster Parliament]]. The [[Reform Act 1832]] created a single [[Isle of Wight (UK Parliament constituency)|Isle of Wight]] parliamentary constituency covering the whole island, until it was divided into two constituencies in 2024. Now the town is a part of the [[Isle of Wight East (UK Parliament constituency)|Isle of Wight East]] parliamentary constituency.

===The old port===
Until the 16th century the port was active. Ships lay alongside at the quay behind the Bugle Inn in the High Street. Ships came into Brading Haven for shelter and for provisions, particularly water, which was of a high quality.  The north-eastern part of the haven was closed off by an embankment completed in 1594, much of which is still present. Ships would then tie up at the far end of Quay Lane on the other side of the embankment.

Throughout the Middle Ages various attempts were made to drain off the rest of the harbour; for it had gradually become silted up and, except for the main channel of the river, was too shallow to be of any commercial use. Sir [[Hugh Myddleton]], who had constructed the [[New River (London)|New River]] from [[Hertfordshire]] to central London for [[James I of England|James I]], undertook this work; but the sea broke in and flooded the land once again. After others had also tried and failed, this reclamation was finally accomplished in 1881 by the building of a substantial embankment right across the harbour, with the building of the railway to [[Bembridge]].

So Brading now shares with [[Winchelsea]] and [[New Romney|Romney]] the distinction of being a seaport without any sea.  Losing access to the sea caused Brading to decline in importance and prevented the sort of growth enjoyed by [[Cowes]] and [[Newport, Isle of Wight|Newport]].

===The Old Town Hall===
[[File:Brading Old Town Hall.JPG|thumb|[[Old Town Hall, Brading]]]]
The [[Old Town Hall, Brading|Old Town Hall]] stands near to the church. There is no record of the earliest Town Hall, but an entry in The Court Leet Book 1729 refers to the assessment of one shilling rate, and also a subscription towards building a new Town Hall, Market House and Prison, so it is likely it was completed around 1730.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bradingcommunityarchive.com/brading-old-town-hall-and-jail-built-in-1730-photograph-prior-to-1876-when-it-was-restored/|title=Brading Old Town Hall and Jail. Built in 1730. Photograph prior to 1876 when it was restored. CB 034|date=31 March 2020 |publisher=Brading Community Archive|access-date=31 August 2023}}</ref> This new building remained until 1876 when it was restored to its present state, and then contained the Free Town Library.<ref name=listed>{{NHLE|desc= The Old Town Hall including lock up, stocks and whipping post, High Street |num= 1219522 |access-date=31 August 2023}}</ref>

===The Bull Ring===
[[File:Brading Town Hall.JPG|thumb|left|[[New Town Hall, Brading]]]]
[[File:Brading - The Bull Ring.JPG|right|thumb|The Statue adjacent to the Bull Ring.]]
Set in the ground outside the [[New Town Hall, Brading|New Town Hall]] (1903), there is an iron bullring which was once used to secure a bull whilst it was being baited by dogs.<ref>[http://www.iowight.com/gallery/brading/bradingbullring.jpg Picture of Brading Bull Ring], [http://www.iowight.com/ Isle of Wight pictures website]</ref> According to the diaries of Sir [[John Oglander]], the Governor of the Isle of Wight would donate 5 guineas for the purchase of the bull to be baited; the meat was afterwards donated to the poor of the town. The Mayor attended this ceremony in full regalia and a dog, known as the Mayor's Dog, would be decked with coloured ribbons and set on the bull after the proclamation had been made.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://iowfhs.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/old-reference-books/isle-of-wight-topographical/The+Oglander+memoirs+-+J.+Oglander+%281888%29.pdf|page=xi|title=The Oglander Memoirs: Extracts from the manuscripts of Sir John Oglander Kt. of Nunwell, Isle of Wight, Deputy-Governor of Portsmouth and Deputy Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight 1595 to 1648|first=W. H. |last=Long|publisher=Reeves and Turner|year=1888}}</ref>

A large wooden carving of a bull decorates the Bullring. This is by local artist Paul Sivell.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.countypress.co.uk/news/24229874.7-reasons-visit-popular-isle-wight-town-brading/|title=7 reasons to visit popular Isle of Wight town of Brading|date=13 April 2024|newspaper=Isle of Wight County Press|access-date=29 June 2024}}</ref> Another of his works is an approximately 10-foot wooden statue of the goddess Diana positioned in the woods above Brading at Kelly's Copse entitled "For Camilla". This commemorates the murder of a Danish exchange student by a sex attacker from Gosport in 2002. Many local people have added plastic flowers and stuffed toys as tribute.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2138785.stm|title=Man charged with student murder|date=20 July 2002|newspaper=BBC News|access-date=29 June 2024}}</ref>

===The Town Gun===
The town possesses a gun. It is a brass piece, made in 1549 by the Owine Brothers, John and Robert, so that the town might be defended from French invasion.  The gun was never used in action, but was taken to the top of [[Brading Down]] in 1832 so that it could be fired to celebrate the passing of the Reform Bill. Unfortunately it exploded and split, putting a stop to celebrations for the day. It is currently kept at the coach house at [[Nunwell House]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bradingcommunityarchive.com/the-gun-shed-in-1983-before-restoration-2/  |title=The gun shed in 1983 before restoration|publisher=Brading Community Archive|access-date=30 June 2024}}</ref>