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The parish of Smannell is situated to the north east of Andover, and
incorporates the settlements of East Anton, Finkley, Little London, Smannell, Upper Enham and Woodhouse. settlements are separated by farmland and
interconnected by a matrix of footpaths and roads.
The name Smannell is thought to mean 'The place
of the swineherds', a clearing in the forest where pigs were encouraged to grub out trees
and undergrowth. There has been a settlement at Smannell and nearby Woodhouse since
earliest times. The Saxons lived here and the Romans before them built two of their main
highways through this district, the Portway and Harroway. Now, five roads meet in the
centre of the village by the British Oak Inn.
While Smannell is really only a hamlet there is
the church of Christ Church designed by William White in 1857 and very like his church at
Hatherden nearby. Flint and brick outside with a peculiar bellcote lined with brick
inside and patterned.
The positions of the settlements have their roots in
early history, which has influenced the position of the existing roads and footpaths. Their
historical function was likely to be utilitarian, in terms of access for farm and woodland
and droving of animals etc, or strategic, with respect to the two principal Roman Roads
intersecting on the boundary of the Parish.
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The Parish is characterised by strong, rolling
landforms, rising gently to domed hilltops and dissected by dry river valleys. A thick layer
of chalk with flint produces softer contours and heavy moist soils which have retained their
woodland cover. Sinuous woodlands cling to the steep slopes and with interconnected hedgerow
networks, create a strong sense of enclosure in some
areas.
The parish is situated on a major aquifer,
a layer of water-bearing permeable
rock or unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, silt, chalk or clay) from which groundwater
can be usefully extracted. This provides a major water resource for Andover and its population.
The soils are shallow in places allowing liquid discharges to
appear in low lying areas.
A section of the parish is within the North West Downs
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Wooded areas
in the AONB are planted with beech and conifers which were once managed by the Forestry
Commission but are now in private hands.
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