BRADDEN is the next village on from GREENS NORTON which lies some 2 miles from the town of Towcester, 9 miles from Brackley, 9 miles from Northampton and 12 miles from Milton Keynes. Road communications from Towcester provide good access to M1 junction 15A and the M40 south of Brackley with the A5 providing easy access to Milton Keynes. Facilities in Greens Norton include a primary school, Falcon Manor private school, general store, Post Office, butcher's shop, public house and Parish Church. Sporting facilities in the area include golf at Farthingstone, horse racing at Towcester and motor racing at Silverstone. Beauty spots include Everdon Stubbs, Badby Woods and Silverstone Forest.
According to the 2001 census Bradden had a population of 179 people. It is a village of mainly mature houses, built from mellow Northamptonshire stone.
So far, we have discovered that the Knights Templar and later Hospitallers lived among us, that religious dissenters obtained licenses as early as 1689 to worship in their own way, and that the village was larger than it appears today, with a number of buildings having disappeared, leaving hardly a trace.
The village itself is quiet, peaceful and a haven to bird life. We have our own birding expert in the shape of Mike Tubb and he has kindly created a guide to the bird life in the area.
Approaching Bradden from Greens Norton, you are first struck by how rural the area is. Travelling along the gently undulating lane, you pass fields of crops, cows and sheep.
Once past the church, the vista opens up. To your left is Barratt Row and the Village Green, and to your right the mellow stone wall surrounding Bradden house. Then on past Bradden Gardens to your left and into the village.
The village is a thriving community. We have a Quiz Night, an annual Bar-be-cue, and other community based activities.
There are Village Reading Rooms, which have been beautifully restored and renovated, providing the people of Bradden, and surrounding areas, with a lovely base for village activities.