Hanham
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Hanham is a village on the eastern outskirts of Bristol, England, located in the Constituency of Kingswood and situated on the A431 between Bristol, Bath and Keynsham. It is in the unitary authority of South Gloucestershire. It became a civil parish on 1 April 2003.[1] The population of this civil parish taken at the 2011 census was 6,128.[2]
Governance
An electoral ward in the same name exists. The ward stretches south from Hanham to Hanham Abbots. The total population of the ward taken from the 2011 census was 10,311[3]
History
The village is reputed to have one of the oldest public houses in Britain, The Blue Bowl – thought to have started life as a tavern for Roman soldiers[dubious ]. There is no firm evidence for the age of the pub but Roman coins have been discovered nearby and St Lyte wrote in 1480 that it was an old established hostelry.
It is the site of Hanham Lock on the River Avon.
George Whitefield first preached in the open air on Hanham Mount to Kingswood miners in 1739. Because he was soon to go to Georgia he introduced John Wesley to his congregation and to open air preaching, a great novelty in 18th century Britain. A replica pulpit was erected in honour of this, as well as commemorative plaques.
For the 1950s Festival of Britain an 80 ft high beacon was erected in honour of Baptists who suffered persecution during the period 1662 to 1689. In 2007 it was replaced by a newer, taller and brighter beacon, the former one having been considered unsafe.
Oliver Cromwell also stayed in the village, at the Blue Bowl Inn, which was used as his regional headquarters.
Tom Cribb, once world champion bare-knuckle boxer, was born in Hanham.[4]
Resident John Horwood was convicted and hanged for the murder of his girlfriend in 1821. His skeleton was kept hanging in a cupboard at Bristol University until its burial in 2011.
Memorial Road has a Memorial Cottage at the entrance of Christchurch and Hanham High School. It was built in memory of a local hero John Chiddy, for his widow and family. John Chiddy was killed by an express train whilst removing a large stone from the metals of the Great Western Railway near Conham on 31 March 1876. Brave Hero John Chiddy from Hanham 'He leapt to die, and for a hundred lives he gave his one'.
Cliff Britton was born in Hanham in 1909. He was famous as an Everton and England footballer and later as manager of Burnley F.C., Everton, Preston North End and Hull City.
Stephen Merchant was born in Hanham and attended local school Hanham High. He is co-writer and co-director of the popular British sitcoms The Office and Extras with Ricky Gervais.
Hanham will also be the first place in the UK to trial Gordon Brown's new eco-towns.[5] Built on the former Hanham Hall Hospital site,[6] the new village will serve as a blueprint for Gordon Brown's proposed five eco-towns that will provide up to 100,000 zero-carbon dwellings across the country.[7]
References
- ↑ http://www.odpm.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1133671
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- ↑ Hanham, Longwell Green and Willsbridge – Picture Past, by David G. Elliot, page 23.
- ↑ Hanham Hall
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External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hanham. |
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