England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Hannington St John the Baptist

The Parish

The parish of Hannington lies in the extreme northeast of Wiltshire, indeed it forms part of the border with neighbouring Gloucestershire and is also close to the border with Berkshire. Hannington is located about 6 miles northeast of the industrial town of Swindon and the northern boundary of the parish is the infant River Thames. Hannington is a small and compact village, grouped around the hall, and sits in lanes about 2 miles west of the A361 which connects Swindon with Lechlade. Hannington village sits on a 40 metre high knoll above the flood plain of the Thames, the majority of the economy would have been derived from farming the rich silts of that plain. The Thames drains the parish eastwards on a long journey to the North Sea through the capital and reaching it via the Thames Estuary. Hannington is sited at around 110 metres above the sea, the land falls away to a general level of 70 metres on the plains, Hannington is one of the higher points within a few miles. Hannington parish was fairly typically sized for its county, it covered approximately 3,000 acres and would have supported a population of around 400 parishioners. In Domesday times Hannington was held by Glastonbury Abbey, it could offer 9 ploughs, substantial meadows, woodland & pasture as well as 2 mills making it a wealthy little holding.

The Church

St John the Baptist's church sits some way from its village, almost a half mile along a lane leading southeastwards towards Bydemill Farm. Sadly the majority of the church dates from an almost complete rebuilding which happened between 1869 & 1871. That rebuilding did, however, reuse sufficient of the older mediaeval building to gather something of its age and character. The reused southern doorway shows features of Romanesque, Norman, design and is probably 12th century; other doorways shows early English Gothic styles of the 13th century whilst the western tower is characteristically Perpendicular and 15th century. The approach along the narrow lane ends at a worn parking area on the verge and a sloping path leads up to the churchyard. The churchyard is fairly tight to the church on the western side which does somewhat limit the views of that Perpendicular tower, a temporary trespass into the neighbouring field does improve the view.