Brading

Ancient market town with Roman heritage and a medieval street pattern

A small, ancient town in the eastern part of the island with a history far older than its modest size might suggest. Brading was one of the most important settlements on the island in medieval times, with a market charter, a town hall and a bull ring. The town sits on a low ridge above what was once Brading Haven, a large tidal inlet that was progressively drained and reclaimed from the seventeenth century onwards. The Roman villa at Brading, with its well-preserved mosaic floors, is one of the finest Roman sites in southern England and evidence of the island's importance during the Roman period. The town has a wax museum (Brading the Experience), a handful of pubs and shops, and the parish church of St Mary the Virgin, which dates from at least the twelfth century. The Island Line railway passes through Brading, providing a rail link between Ryde and Shanklin. The surrounding landscape is agricultural, with the flat, reclaimed fields of the former haven stretching east towards Bembridge.