WEST HANNEY
West
Hanney and its neighbour, East
Hanney, have
just
a field separating them and the villages are often referred to
as 'The Hanneys'.
'The
Hanneys' were built in pre Norman times on a gravel bed
in the Vale of the White Horse.
Letcombe brook runs through the villages. The
brook used to power water mills, the last of which closed
around 1920. One of The Hanneys
claims to fame is to have been the home of the oldest
ever recorded English woman, Elizabeth Bowles, who died
in 1718 aged 124.
The
deserted medieval village of North Denchworth is on the western boundary of the village. The
site of the old manor is thought to be at Grange Farm and a moat
near the Childrey Brook may have enclosed the medieval
house.
The Church of St James the Great dates back to approximately
1160. For the history and full information about St. James' Church click here.
West
Hanney is about 2 miles east of its neighbour, East
Hanney, and about 4 miles north of Wantage.