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.
Demographics
Population
The parish of Hannington has a population of 240 127 males and 113 females according to the most recent census data. 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 near by 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.
Occupations
The occupation for the village as of 1881 are shown in the graph, 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.
is a Grade II* listed country house built in 1653. 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
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.
Transport
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 when the Highworth branch line closed following depleting passenger numbers. The railway was established on 9 May 1883, 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.
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.
