Semington
Coordinates: 51°20′35″N 2°09′04″W / 51.343°N 2.151°W
| Semington | |
 Village hall |
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 Semington
Semington shown within Wiltshire |
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| Population | 830 (2001 census)[1] |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | ST8960 |
| Civil parish | Semington |
| Unitary authority | Wiltshire |
| Ceremonial county | Wiltshire |
| Region | South West |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Trowbridge |
| Postcode district | BA14 |
| Dialling code | 01380 |
| Police | Wiltshire |
| Fire | Wiltshire |
| Ambulance | Great Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | Chippenham |
| Website | Semington Village |
Semington is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The village is about 2 miles (3 km) south of Melksham and about 3 miles (5 km) northeast of Trowbridge.
The parish includes the hamlets of Littlemarsh and Littleton.[2]
The village has two locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal, known as the Semington Locks, and is the start of the disused Wilts and Berks Canal.
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Geography [edit]
Within the village there are over 500 houses, a primary school, a village hall, public tennis courts and a park for children.
Littlemarsh is a hamlet south of Semington, along the old course of the A350 road. Littleton is no longer populated, and the only area currently designated as belonging to Littleton is the roundabout at the A350 and A361 road crossing.
History [edit]
Canals [edit]
The Kennet and Avon Canal crosses marshy ground on an embankment on the northern edge of the village.
The two Semington locks were built between 1794 and 1802 under the supervision of the engineer John Rennie[3] and this stretch of the canal is now administered by British Waterways. They have a combined rise/fall of 16 ft 1 in (4.9 m).[4] The two locks at Semington are known as Buckley's (numbered 15) and Barrett's (16).[5]
Next to the locks is the point at which the Wilts & Berks Canal left the Kennet and Avon. The Wilts & Berks is disused but the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust is restoring it. East of the locks, the canal travels across the 2004 Semington Aqueduct, built to allow the A350 road to bypass Semington village. Another aqueduct carries the canal over Semington Brook.[6]
The canal, towpath and adjacent hedges are good for wildlife and in August 2007 water voles were seen.[7]
World War II [edit]
During the Second World War, Semington was on GHQ Line which followed the path of the canal. Semington was designated as a centre of resistance: extensive anti-tank ditches were constructed to the east, south, and west of the village, these were overlooked by a number of pillboxes. The defences were constructed as a part of British anti-invasion preparations.[8]
Parish church [edit]
The Church of England parish church of St George is a grade II listed building.[9] It has a garden fête every summer in the gardens of the manor house.[10]
Economy [edit]
Semington has a pub, The Somerset Arms,[11] which is popular with canal travellers. About 1 km north of the village is Hampton Park West business park, which has the corporate headquarters of companies such as G-Plan, Avon Rubber plc and a large Wiltshire Police operations centre.
Notable residents [edit]
- Thomas Helliker (1784–1803), trade union martyr, executed for rôle in burning Semington mill
- Isaac Gulliver (1745–1822), smuggler
See also [edit]
References [edit]
Notes [edit]
- ^ Wiltshire Community History Semington Census Information. Retrieved on October 23, 2006.
- ^ election-maps.co.uk, Semington Civil Parish boundary on Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 colour raster layer. Retrieved 23 October, 2006.
- ^ http://www.reedboats.co.uk/canals/ken/kenh.html
- ^ Pearson, Michael (2003). Kennet & Avon Middle Thames:Pearson's Canal Companion. Rugby: Central Waterways Supplies. ISBN 0-907864-97-X.
- ^ Allsop, Niall (1987). The Kennet & Avon Canal. Bath: Millstream Book. ISBN 0-948975-15-6.
- ^ "Semington Aqueduct". Images of England. Retrieved 2006-10-25.
- ^ "Watervoles". UK Biodiversity Action Plan. Retrieved 2007-03-17.
- ^ Foot, 2006, pp. 291-296.
- ^ "Church of St. George". Images of England. Retrieved 2006-10-25.
- ^ "Manor House". Images of England. Retrieved 2006-10-25.
- ^ "Somerset Arms". Images of England. Retrieved 2006-10-25.
General references [edit]
- Foot, William (2006). Beaches, fields, streets, and hills ... the anti-invasion landscapes of England, 1940. Council for British Archaeology. ISBN 1-902771-53-2.
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Semington |
Canal:
Community:
- www.semington-village.co.uk — Unofficial village website; includes parish council minutes and voluntary organisations
History:
- Semington at Wiltshire Community History from Wiltshire Council
