Brampton Old Church
There are two churches in Brampton: the oldest church and churchyard is now described as Brampton Old
Church, and lies about a mile from the town on the site of a Roman fort. Dedicated to St Martin, parts of it date
from Norman times, but only the chancel and a 19
th
century porch remain. There are several medieval grave
slabs in the churchyard, but most of the gravestones date from 1700 to the 1960s. In 1788, after the old church
had fallen into disrepair, it was dismantled and the materials used to convert the chapel and almshouses of an
old hospital in the town into a new parish church. This was consecrated in 1789, and enlarged in 1827: there
was a small churchyard behind this which was used for burials between 1789 and 1861. This was referred to as
the “New Churchyard.” Several families, however, still used the old churchyard for burials during this period.In
1861, both churchyards were declared unfit for use: the old churchyard was extended and continued to be used
for burials, while the “new” churchyard was closed to further burials.
Photos taken at both Brampton churches are in my online album HERE
- arranged in alphabetical order. Transcripts are under each photo. A CD or download with full details is avail-
able from the CFHS.