Editing Brading (section)

===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.