Welcome to Brantham

Brantham is just a short hop over the Stour and the Essex and Suffolk border to the North of Manningtree.

Brantham itself is said to derrive its name from the Anglo-Saxon (Brant) Hill and ham) village carved into the bank of the river. They say what they saw back in those times and there's something to be said by that.

These days Brantham has grown along the A137 towards Ipswich and outwards along the semi-rural countryside roads that lead into neighbouring East Bergholt and towards the Shotley peninsular (West). Much of the village grew rapidly from the 1920's as industry thrived at Cattawade on the former Brooklands Farm site. This expansion of light industry after its agricultural beginings meant the need for new homes thus gaving rise to 'New Village' and to the more modern development found at Brooklands Road. We find that many retirees who would like to retire to the countryside and a bungalow often find better choices of more being available here than Manningtree itself where they are so few and far between. You get the best of both worlds here if you'd like a bit of countryside living but also want accessible towns like Ipswich and Manningtree nearby.

The village retains it's own community-led village hall which provides a venue for the local football team (brantham Athletic), bowls, netball, cricket and tennis whilst also having a bar and the ability to cater for functions.

St Michal the Archangel church is believed to date all the way back to the 14th Centuary. In 1805 John Constable himself presented the church with his painting 'Christ Blessing the children'. A reproduction hangs today with the original being enjoyed by visitors to Ipswich Museum.

The Bull at brantham is the village's oldest pub from the 16th century and is, of course, Grade II Listed. Throughout the Bull are beams believed to have been reclaimed from wreckage of The Spanish Armarda and past uses have seen the building used as a courthouse and a prison and the pub's cellar still has remnants of a smuggler's run leading all the way to the Stour.

Brantham is just half a mile from Manningtree's main line station.

 

Have we missed something? We'd love to hear from you.

Please email us with your Business details, points of interest and local history and we'd be glad to add it here.

 

 

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