Brackley

Market town in Northamptonshire, England, 14 km/9 mi east of Banbury; population (2001) 13,300. It is situated 10 km/6 mi southwest of Silverstone motor-racing circuit, and is the administrative and shopping centre for the surrounding rural district.

First settled in Roman times, Brackley is comprised of two separate settlements, one on a hill (Old Town), and one on the banks of the River Ouse. Permission to hold a market was granted in 1217. The wool trade flourished in the 13th and 14th centuries. In the 18th century Brackley prospered from the development of new roads, with up to 28 inns serving passing stagecoaches.

Notable buildings include St Peter's church, with its 13th-century tower, and the Town Hall (1707). Magdalen College School was founded in 1548; the college chapel is derived from the 12th-century Hospital of St James and St John.