Hannington, Northamptonshire
This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2021) |
Hannington | |
---|---|
(2011 census) | |
OS grid reference | SP8170 |
Unitary authority | |
Ceremonial county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | Northampton |
Postcode district | NN6 |
Dialling code | 01604 |
Police | Northamptonshire |
Fire | Northamptonshire |
Ambulance | East Midlands |
UK Parliament | |
Hannington is a village in
Ancient history of Hannington and the Church of St Peter and St Paul
The villages name means 'Farm/settlement connected with Hana'.[2]
The parish of Hannington has been inhabited for a much greater period of time than many people may realise. Evidence exists from the Bronze Age and from the time of the Roman occupation and also later from the Medieval period. Bronze Age worked flints have been found at three different locations in the parish, and there are traces of a Roman settlement just north of the present day village where Roman pottery has been found.
Just east of the church, an area of around two hectares shows signs of a medieval settlement which appears to have consisted of enclosures or paddocks, formerly part of the village itself. Hannington was mentioned in the
The church, once a major part of village life, was built in the late 13th century, though it incorporates some stonework from an earlier period. At the time of construction the church was "in the gift" of the Gilbertine Order of Sempringham in Lincolnshire. The
The church of St Peter and St Paul is one of only two in England with a bisected nave; the other is at Caythorpe in Lincolnshire. The latter had a north aisle added in Victorian times, spoiling the symmetry. St Peter and St Paul, Hannington, could therefore be considered to be unique in England. The delicate medieval screen now enclosing the vestry was originally placed across the arch separating the chancel (occupied only by the priest and assistants), from the nave (used by the people). The oak pulpit is of similar age.
In 1562 Thomas Godwin became Rector of Hannington. In the same year he baptised his baby son Francis in Hannington's church. The Reverend Thomas left to become Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, and eventually Bishop of Bath and Wells. His son Francis became Bishop of Hereford and wrote the first science-fiction novel in the English language, The Man in the Moone, a fascinating read with amazing predictions.
By the mid 19th century the church had fallen into a serious state of disrepair and was little more than a ruin, but thankfully in 1869 the building was restored to its former glory and a new Rectory was built alongside it. The person responsible for this was the Rector, John Downes. He personally paid for the restoration and for the building of the Rectory, now called Hannington House. It was John Downes' wife Lucy who founded the school in Hannington in 1871, and this school building still exists and is used as the Village Hall. A portrait of Lucy Downes hangs in the building to this day, having been donated by the family in the 1970s. John Downes is perhaps one of the village's most notable past residents. A graduate of
Clearly the church would have been at the heart of village life in Hannington. However, since 1954 the village has shared a vicar with the neighbouring parishes of Walgrave and Old, and more recently, Scaldwell.[3] Older villagers can recall there being a good congregation and a choir made up of local boys. At one time there was also a Chapel in the village situated close to West Farm. Now, in common with many village churches, the congregation of the church is modest and the majority of villagers are not involved.
Local environment
Hannington was described in the late 19th century in John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales as:
a parish in Brixworth district, Northampton; 4½ miles ESE of Brixworth r. station, and 6 NW by W of Wellingborough. Post town, Walgrave, under Northampton. Acres, 1,270. Real property, £1,884. Pop., 226. Houses, 52. The property is subdivided. The living is a rectory, annexed to the rectory of Walgrave, in the Diocese of Peterborough. The church is ancient, has a small tower, and was restored in 1869. Bishop Godwin was rector.
A brook runs through the parish which feeds the nearby
The pocket park was established in 1996 and it lies to the south of the village. This is a wooded area of around a third of an acre and a variety of flora and fauna can be found there at different times of the year.
Historic traces of ridge and furrow can be found in the majority of the fields surrounding Hannington, although this cannot always be seen from the ground.
Population and buildings
Although the architecture of the village and the families inhabiting it have changed enormously over the years, the population had not risen hugely until fairly recently, reaching a peak in 1861 before declining again into the next century and then rising rapidly once more during recent years. With the exception of the church and the village hall, the buildings with a historical focus were either demolished or have been converted into homes. The Millstone (once a
Employment in the village
Being a rural settlement, the majority of Hannington residents were once agricultural workers, both living and working in the community. Tending to the animals and of course farming the land, were jobs which people had been occupied with in and around the village, probably for centuries. The villagers were almost entirely self-sufficient, obtaining their meat, eggs, milk, and other supplies from farms in the parish and ensuring that everything available was used in some way.
Out of nine functioning farms in the community last century only one, Poplars Farm, continues to be actively farmed from within the village. West Farm, Mere Farm and Manor Farm are just some of those that ceased farming in Hannington during recent decades. Many different types of farming occurred here until recently, including dairy, poultry, livestock and arable. The staple crops produced, mainly being wheat and barley, are those we still see produced today in the surrounding area. It is now very unusual to find someone who both lives and works in a village the size of Hannington. Some people do work from their homes, either part-time or full-time. The relatively recent addition of business units on Red House Lane does now make both living and working in Hannington a possibility
Hannington in wartime
During World War II, Hannington had a narrow escape when bombs were dropped on Red House Lane close to the A43 road. Some older residents remember that glass was blown from the windows of the nearby farmhouse and large craters were left, but luckily the village itself was unscathed.
At this time, land between the nearby villages of Harrington and Lamport was used as an airfield for an American air base. Planes from this airfield, including bombers, flew regularly near the parish. During this time a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress crashed at the Walgrave turning on the A43 leaving all of the American crew dead. Remains and fragments of this incident have subsequently been discovered in the area.
Village celebrations and fetes
There were at one time two village events per year in Hannington, held at Poplars Farm and in the Rectory gardens (Hannington House). People would come in fancy dress and it was a time when all villagers could come together, adults and children, to enjoy a shared social event.
May Day was also celebrated by decorating prams or baskets with flowers and parading a "May Queen". The children would sing and this was followed by tea in the Village Hall.
Barn dances were held at Poplars Farm until fairly recently, and were well attended by residents from the village and the surrounding area.
In 1977, the Silver Jubilee was celebrated in the village and a bed of 25 rose bushes was planted to mark the event. This rose bed is still flourishing on Main Street by West Farm Close.
Services and amenities in Hannington
In the past there were two public houses in the parish; the Millstone in the village and The Red House at the edge of the parish on the A43. The Red House was a well used pub not only by residents of Hannington but also by residents of neighbouring Hardwick and passing motorists. The Red House has undergone several name changes over the last decade and was most recently known as "Henry’s". It is now derelict.
The Millstone had a long tradition as a public house in the centre of the village, used by generations of farmers and villagers. It once had a popular skittles room and was the major social amenity in the village until its closure in 1938. Residents of Walgrave also visited the pub. Now a private home, this most attractive building lost its thatch in the 1960s. The stonework reflects various periods of building when the property was extended and there is an old dovecote in the back garden, now in a state of disrepair, that harks back to a much earlier time when this was a way to ensure fresh meat.
The
As mentioned previously there was a village shop next door to The Millstone House. A local
The doctor came to the village about three times a week, and if people needed medical attention a note had to be left until the next visit. There was also a district nurse, and like today, doctors were available in the nearby villages of Brixworth and Moulton.
Today an hourly bus service operates through the village travelling to Northampton and Kettering, although the majority of residents travel by car to reach the services and amenities which are no longer available in the village.
Although travel outside the parish is now necessary for most things, a mobile library still visits the Hannington on a weekly basis.
Changes to the appearance of the village
Behind the Jubilee Rose Bed in Main Street once stood an old stone barn, which was demolished to make way for West Farm Close. Turners Farm, which included a large farmhouse on the corner of School Lane, was demolished earlier. This had been the last thatched house in the village until the modern Turners Farm Close was built to include two thatched buildings. Turners Farm Close, Orchard Close and West Farm Close are all relatively new
Many small
Main Street once curved sharply at the junction of Main Street and Bridle Road and was a very dangerous road. It has since been straightened out and there is now a small green which was created after diverting the road.
The church clock has not always been in its current position either. It once overlooked the Holcot Road and a small window can now be seen where the clock originally was. The window was fitted with glass after the removal of the clock.
References
- ^ Office for National Statistics: Hannington CP: Parish headcounts. Retrieved 15 July 2015
- ^ "Key to English Place-names". kepn. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
- ^ "St Andrew's Old". st-andrews-old.co.uk. 24 February 2020. Archived from the original on 24 February 2020. Retrieved 14 April 2021.}
- Memories of local residents
External links
- Map sources for Hannington, Northamptonshire