Brackley tourist information

Brackley has a wide, tree lined market place with Georgian and Victorian houses and shops. This provides an attractive setting for its fine town hall, dating from 1706.

Brackley has a long history.

The castle at the southern end of the town was built in the early-12th century. In 1215 the rebel barons drew up the first draft of the Magna Carta at Brackley but it took another year of hard fighting before King John was forced to sign the contract.

In the mid-16th century Brackley was eligible to send two MPs to Westminster. In 1601 one of the these was the famous poet John Donne. A scandal caused by the entertainment of those eligible to vote resulted in the Reform Act of 1832, and today Brackley sends no members to Parliament.

Brackley was on the coaching route to London and in the 18th century the town boasted 28 inns, now 8 remain.