Whaddon, Wiltshire
Encyclopedia
Whaddon is a hamlet
in the civil parish of Hilperton
, located in Wiltshire
, England
.
. It is only accessible via Whaddon Lane that connects the hamlet to Hilperton.
The River Avon and Kennet and Avon Canal
, half a mile apart, define the natural boundaries of the hamlet. Avon separates Whaddon from the village of Holt
, and the canal – from Hilperton and Semington
.
, lasting into Roman times. Under the name of Wadone, the village is mentioned in the Domesday Book
of 1086, being held by a Saxon called Alvric, supporting two plough teams, and also having meadow and pasture. The Saxons used wood both for building and their utensils, so they have left little evidence in the archaeological record, other than a possible fragment of late Saxon pottery found at the site. At that time, Whaddon included Paxcroft, now part of Hilperton; the total population would probably have been between 15 and 25 people. The village was then located on the major road going from Trowbridge through Hilperton to Whaddon and then alongside the river Avon to Melksham
. By 1428, the population of Whaddon counted 10 householders; then it rose to 36 people in 1801 and further to 63 in 1821.
For a long time, Whaddon was a separate parish; but in 1894 it was merged with Semington parish, and since then, the population of Whaddon on its own hasn't been recorded. It was not until the late 20th century that Whaddon was united with its more obvious neighbour, Hilperton.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
in the civil parish of Hilperton
Hilperton
Hilperton is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, and is separated by only a few fields from the town of Trowbridge. The village is on the edge of Trowbridge, northeast of the town centre.There are two main parts of the village:...
, located in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Location
The hamlet is located 2.5 miles northeast of the county town of TrowbridgeTrowbridge
Trowbridge is the county town of Wiltshire, England, situated on the River Biss in the west of the county, approximately 12 miles southeast of Bath, Somerset....
. It is only accessible via Whaddon Lane that connects the hamlet to Hilperton.
The River Avon and Kennet and Avon Canal
Kennet and Avon Canal
The Kennet and Avon Canal is a waterway in southern England with an overall length of , made up of two lengths of navigable river linked by a canal. The name is commonly used to refer to the entire length of the navigation rather than solely to the central canal section...
, half a mile apart, define the natural boundaries of the hamlet. Avon separates Whaddon from the village of Holt
Holt, Wiltshire
Holt is a village and civil parish northeast of Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire, England.The village was served by Holt Junction railway station of GWR Devizes Branch Line, until its closure in 1966.-Parish church:...
, and the canal – from Hilperton and Semington
Semington
Semington is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The village is about south of Melksham and about northeast of Trowbridge.The parish includes the hamlets of Littlemarsh and Littleton....
.
History
Archaeological finds at the current location of the hamlet indicate occupation as early as the Iron AgeIron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
, lasting into Roman times. Under the name of Wadone, the village is mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086, being held by a Saxon called Alvric, supporting two plough teams, and also having meadow and pasture. The Saxons used wood both for building and their utensils, so they have left little evidence in the archaeological record, other than a possible fragment of late Saxon pottery found at the site. At that time, Whaddon included Paxcroft, now part of Hilperton; the total population would probably have been between 15 and 25 people. The village was then located on the major road going from Trowbridge through Hilperton to Whaddon and then alongside the river Avon to Melksham
Melksham
Melksham is a medium-sized English town, lying on the River Avon. It lies in the county of Wiltshire.It is situated southeast of the city of Bath, south of Chippenham, west of Devizes and north of Warminster on the A350 national route. The 2001 UK census cited Melksham as having 20,000...
. By 1428, the population of Whaddon counted 10 householders; then it rose to 36 people in 1801 and further to 63 in 1821.
For a long time, Whaddon was a separate parish; but in 1894 it was merged with Semington parish, and since then, the population of Whaddon on its own hasn't been recorded. It was not until the late 20th century that Whaddon was united with its more obvious neighbour, Hilperton.