Hannington, Wiltshire

Hannington is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, two miles northwest of Highworth, and now part of the Borough of Swindon. The parish includes the hamlets of Hannington Wick (north of Hannington village) and Swanborough (south, on the border with Highworth parish). The nearest town is Swindon 5.5 miles (9.2 kilometres) and the County town of Wilshire, Trowbridge, is 29.5 miles (47.6 kilometres). The River Thames forms both the northern boundary of the parish and the county boundary with Gloucestershire.

Hannington

Hannington Hall
Hannington
Location within Wiltshire
Population240 (in 2011)[1]
OS grid referenceSU175933
Civil parish
  • Hannington
Unitary authority
Shire county
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townSWINDON
Postcode districtSN6
Dialling code01793
PoliceWiltshire
FireDorset and Wiltshire
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament

John Marius Wilson of the Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales in 1870 described the village of Hannington as:

A village and a parish in Highworth district, Wilts. The village stands 2 miles W by N of Highworth, 2 S of the river Thames at the boundary with Gloucester, and 7 NE of Swindon Junction r. station; is a pretty place, built in the form of the letter Y; and has a post office under Swindon.[2]

Demographics
Total population statistics for the parish 1800–2011

Population

The parish of Hannington has a population of 240[3] 127 males and 113 females according to the most recent census data (2011).[4] At the height of the village's population in 1881 433 people lived in Hannington. However, since the industrial revolution that boomed in cities, such as nearby Swindon the population has steadily declined. Since 1940's the villages population has plateaued at 250 mark; in last 130 years the population has all but halved.

Occupation statistics for the parish 1881

Occupations

The occupation for the village as of 1881[5] are shown in the graph (left), these have been divided into male and female with designated colours. Occupations at the time of the 1881 census were dominated by agriculture with 46 people; with the vast majority being male. Domestics services were all but exclusive to women due to the culture and the views of time. Census data in 1881 was recorded by the local priest or tax collector, many at the time were unemployed or carried out illegal activities.

Hannington Hall

Hannington Hall is a Grade II* listed country house built in 1653.[6] Hannington Hall has been a centre piece of the village since Sir Thomas Freke commissioned and paid for the construction. The Land and surrounding parsonages had been in the family name since 1603. The grounds of hall are still dotted with buildings associated to the running of the estate. Structures as Victorian stable block (Grade II* listed)[7]

St John the Baptist
St John the Baptist Church, Hannington

St John the Baptist Church is the only religious building located in the local area, serving the population of Lushill and Cannington Wick as well as Hannington. However the church was originally named after Saint David and remains on the site point to a previous church building being situated on the land.[8]

Transport
Hannington picture on OS map

Road

Hannington is serviced by two main roads, Nell Hill connecting villages of Kempsford and Hannington Wick in the north. The alternate route is Queens Road which runs the entire length of village allowing access to Lushill north west of the village and Highworth in the south east. Queens Road is also the major route that connects Hannigton to the A419 road and Swindon.

Railway

The village has been without access to rail network since 1962[9] when the Highworth branch line closed following depleting passenger numbers. The railway was established on 9 May 1883,[10] originally planned to be built by construction firm James Hinton and James Haynes however delays to construction forced the sale of the project to Great Western Railway. The completed railway connect Hannigton with stations at Stratton, Stanton and Highworth.[11]

Public Houses

Hannington's local inn is the Jolly Tar. However alternate pubs such as The Freke Arms are also situated in the parish. The Freke Family of Hannington built the pub in the early 19th century.[12]

Notable people

References
  1. "Wiltshire Community History - Census". Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  2. Marius, John (1870–1872). Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales. Edinburgh: A. Fullerton & Co.
  3. "Hannington Census Information". 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  4. "Hanning (Parish): Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics". Neighborhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  5. "Occupation data classified into the 24 1881 'Orders', plus sex". www.visionofbritain.org.uk. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  6. Historic England. "Hannington Hall (1023333)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  7. "Hannington Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan" (PDF). Swindon County Council. 10 February 2009. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  8. "St John's Hannington - St Michael and All Angels, Highworth". www.stmichaelshighworth.co.uk. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  9. "Geograph:: Disused station platform, Hannington... (C) Vieve Forward". www.geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  10. McFarlane, Janet. "Highworth Light Railway". www.highworthhistoricalsociety.co.uk. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  11. "GWR Highworth Branch". Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  12. "Freke Arms pub and restaurant in Wiltshire. Great food, beer served in a country pub atmosphere". Freke Arms pub and restaurant in Wiltshire. Great food, beer served in a country pub atmosphere. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  13. "FREKE, Thomas II (1660-1721), of Hannington, Wilts. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. Retrieved 29 March 2017.

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