The village lies marginally beyond the eastern outskirts of Coventry, outside the formal city boundaries.

In the early years, the village lacked modern amenities such as paved roads, street lighting, piped water or mains drainage; though these were gradually provided from the 1930s onwards, some of the side roads were not paved or lighted until the 1960s.

During the 1940s, many people trekked to Binley Woods from Coventry to avoid air raids, often living in shacks and caravans.

The name was chosen in order to avoid confusion with, and establish a separate identity from nearby Binley, a suburb of south-east Coventry.

[9] Brandon Wood, just south of the village from which it takes its name, covers an area of 178 acres (72 ha): it is a designated ancient woodland, having been mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086.