Semington

infobox UK place
static_

static_image_caption=Village hall
country=England
latitude=51.343
longitude=-2.151
official_name=Semington
civil_parish=Semington
population=830 (2001 census) [ [http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/community/getcensus.php?item=Semington Wiltshire Community History Semington Census Information] . Retrieved on October 23, 2006.]
shire_district=West Wiltshire
shire_county=Wiltshire
region=South West England
constituency_westminster=Chippenham (c. 2009)
Westbury (2005)
post_town=Trowbridge
postcode_district=BA14
postcode_area=BA
dial_code=01380 (Keevil)
os_grid_reference=ST8960

Semington is a medium-sized village in West Wiltshire, England. It features 2 locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal, and is the start of the disused Wilts and Berks Canal. Its 2001 population was 830, and it is located 3 miles (5 km) from Melksham and 4 miles (7 km) from Trowbridge.

Semington civil parish includes the hamlets of Littlemarsh and Littleton. [http://www.election-maps.co.uk/ election-maps.co.uk] , Semington Civil Parish boundary on Ordnance Survey 1:50 000 colour raster layer. Retrieved on October 23, 2006.]

Geography

Within the village there are around 500 houses, a primary school, a village hall, public tennis courts and a park for children. For the school's most recent Ofsted report, click on [http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports/index.cfm?fuseaction=summary&id=126353 St George's ] . The village has its own [http://www.semington-village.co.uk website ] where some detail of events in the village can be found – although these are not always up to date. Minutes of [http://www.semington-village.co.uk/parishcouncil/index.asp parish council] meetings are eventually displayed here, and there is a rumour that the PC itself will soon embrace the digital age.

Littlemarsh is located to the south of Semington, along the old course of A350 road. Littleton isn't populated anymore, and the only area currently designated as belonging to Littleton is the roundabout at the A350 and A361 road crossing.

History

Canals

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 1718 and 1723 under the supervision of the engineer John Hore of Newbury and Quager of Hilperton 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). [ cite book |last=Pearson |first=Michael |authorlink= |title=Kennet & Avon Middle Thames:Pearson's Canal Companion |year=2003 |publisher=Central Waterways Supplies|location=Rugby |id=ISBN 0-907864-97-X ] The two locks at Semington are known as Buckley's (numbered 15) and Barrett's (16). [cite book |last=Allsop |first=Niall |title=The Kennet & Avon Canal |year=1987 |publisher=Millstream Book |location=Bath |id=ISBN 0-948975-15-6 ]

Adjacent to the locks is the point at which the disused Wilts and Berks Canal joined the Kennet and Avon, and a group of determined enthusiasts are bent on restoring this canal to its former glory. 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. [cite web | title=Semington Aqueduct | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=435208 | accessdate=2006-10-25]

The canal, towpath and adjacent hedges are good for wildlife and there have been recent sightings (August 2007) of watervoles ("arvicola terrestris"). [cite web | title=Watervoles | work=UK Biodiversity Action Plan | url=http://www.ukbap.org.uk/UKPlans.aspx?ID=115 | accessdate=2007-03-17]

World War II

During the Second World War, Semington lay 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. [Foot, 2006, p291-296.]

Culture

The village has the small mediæval St George's church, which is a grade II listed building. [cite web | title=Church of St. George | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=434833 | accessdate=2006-10-25] with a garden fête held every summer in the gardens of the manor house. [cite web | title=Manor House | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=435211 | accessdate=2006-10-25]

Economy

Semington has a pub, the "Somerset Arms", [cite web | title=Somerset Arms | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=435210 | accessdate=2006-10-25] which is popular with canal travellers, and a number of other small businesses. 1 km to the north of the village lies the ever-expanding Hampton Park West business park, which houses the large corporate headquarters of companies such as G-Plan, Avon Rubber plc and a large Wiltshire Police operations centre.

Notable residents

*Thomas Helliker (1784–1803), trade union martyr, executed for rôle in burning Semington mill
*Isaac Gulliver (1745–1822), smuggler

See also

*Locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal
*Semington locks

References

Notes

General references

*cite book
last = Foot
first = William
title = Beaches, fields, streets, and hills ... the anti-invasion landscapes of England, 1940
publisher = Council for British Archaeology
year = 2006
isbn = 1-902771-53-2

External links

"'Canal:
* [http://www.katrust.org/west_wilts/west_wilts.html West Wilts Branch of The Kennet and Avon Canal Trust]
* [http://www.sustrans.co.uk/default.asp?sID=1095605490000 National Cycle Route 4] – "Severn & Thames"; more info at [http://www.waterscape.com/Kennet_%26_Avon_Canal/cycling/Kennet_%26_Avon_Cycle_Route_1 waterscape]
* [http://www.waterscape.com/Kennet_%26_Avon_Canal/introduction/ waterscape.com] – Official Kennet and Avon Canal information
* [http://www.visitkanda.com/ Visit K&A] – Kennet & Avon Canal Rural Transport Partnership
* [http://www.katrade.org.uk/ Kennet & Avon Trade Association] "'Community:
* [http://www.semington-village.co.uk/ www.semington-village.co.uk] — Unofficial village website; includes parish council minutes and voluntary organisations"'History:
* [http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/community/getcom2.php?id=198 Semington] at Wiltshire Community History from Wiltshire County Council
* http://www.wiltshirepast.net/ – Wiltshire Victoria County History