Historically, Brampton was variously known as Brantune, Brantone or Bramptone, and Brauntone or Brampton. Scattered human remains dating back 1600–2000 years have been found in one or more gardens of houses near the local primary school. The exact origin of these has yet to be determined. In the Domesday Book survey of 1086, Brampton was listed as Brantune in the Hundred of Leightonstone in Huntingdonshire. It had two manors, yielding aggregate rents to their lords of the manors in 1066 of £20, which had increased to £21.5 by 1086. Domesday recorded a total of 42 households, which gives a population estimate of 125–200. The area expressed in hides today consists of a chancel with a north vestry, nave, north aisle, south aisle, west tower, and north and south porches. The existence of the church is mentioned in Domesday, but very few features of today's church date from earlier than the 14th century. Brampton has associations with the diarist Samuel Pepys. Legend has it that his fortune is buried somewhere in the village: during the panic caused by the Dutch raid on the Medway in 1667 he buried his gold in the garden of Brampton House and was never sure how much of it he had succeeded in recovering. Brampton was the home of his uncle, Robert Pepys, elder brother of the diarist's father, whose house still stands. Samuel Pepys is known to have stayed there and at the Black Bull Inn in the village. After Robert's death in 1661, a bitter legal dispute arose over the Brampton inheritance, involving Samuel, his father and several other claimants. It was ultimately settled out of court.
Government
Brampton has an elected parish council of 15 members meeting on the third Wednesday of the month. Its second local-government tier is Huntingdonshire District Council based in Huntingdon. Brampton as a district ward has two councillors. Brampton's highest tier of local government is Cambridgeshire County Council based in Cambridge. Brampton has one county councillor in the electoral division of Brampton and Kimbolton. At Westminster, Brampton is in the parliamentary constituency of Huntingdon, represented in the House of Commons by Jonathan Djanogly since 2001. The previous member was John Major.
Geography
At one time the higher part of Brampton parish was forested, but it now has less than of woodland. It is generally low-lying, mostly about above sea level, although the ground rises to towards the south-west boundary.
Demography
Population
The earliest census data, from 1801, gives the lowest population figure for Brampton: 1801. The highest 19th-century count, 1281, came in 1851.
Parish
1911
1921
1931
1951
1961
1971
1981
1991
2001
2011
Brampton
895
930
1031
1718
3068
4494
4363
4508
5030
4862
All population census figures are from the report Historic Census figures Cambridgeshire to 2011 by Cambridgeshire Insight. In 2011, the parish covered an area of, making the density of population 874.6 per square mile.
Amenities
The village has retail, medical, dental and veterinary services. There are two horticultural nurseries. Brampton Garden Centre, run by East Anglian company Frosts, also has a restaurant which recently won an award in 2008 for the best Garden Centre Restaurant in the North Thames area. Four establishments offer bar drinking service: The Dragoon, The Old Mill, The Bull, and the Hare on the Green gastro pub, which reopened in October 2018. The last was formerly the Montaz Tandoori restaurant, and before that The Harrier, in honour of the RAF base located in the village. Drinks are also served to members at The Institute and the Bowls Club. The Grange Hotel, Brampton, once a private residence, closed in 2013 for conversion into flats. A large 18th-century brick building, it had been requisitioned in the Second World War for the American Eighth Air Force. RAF Brampton closed in 2013 and its land was sold for development – plans have been submitted for up to 402 new houses. Brampton has a regular bus service to St Neots, Hinchingbrooke, Huntingdon and Tesco – these routes 65 and 66 are operated byStagecoach in Huntingdonshire. The nearest rail service is at Huntingdon railway station, 1.6 miles to the east. Brampton Park has an 18-hole golf course featuring the par-3 4th, a signature hole with a green almost completely surrounded by water, often referred to as England's hardest par-3. The village has a large skate park on the Memorial Playing Fields, alongside the Memorial Hall, and in 2013 a Multi Users Games Area was opened. There are also pitches for Association Football and cricket. Huntingdon Racecourse lies within the parish.
Education
Brampton has one recently merged school named Brampton Village Primary School. It was classified as good according to all the main criteria at the most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2012. Previously there were separate infants' and junior schools on the same site.
