Staverton developed near a crossing point of the
Bristol Avon, on a road between Trowbridge and
Holt. The road bridge may date from the 15th century and was rebuilt in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The Avon forms the entire north and west boundary of the parish, while its tributary the
Biss is the boundary in the southwest. The
Kennet and Avon Canal, built in 1804, is the boundary to the south and southeast. The early settlement was around a
watermill and on the nearby higher ground near the church. The
Old Bear Inn is from the early 19th century, and there are two rows of three-storey weavers' cottages from the 18th or 19th. An
Ordnance Survey map of 1958 shows only the school and roadside dwellings south of the village, between the railway and the canal. Later in the 20th century much housing was built here, followed by a
marina for canal users, with waterside houses and apartments. These developments made the built-up area contiguous with
Hilperton, on the other side of the canal. The population of the parish increased from 453 at the 2001 census to 1,868 in 2011. Over the centuries the mill has been used for corn and for
fulling woollen cloth; a six-storey cloth mill was built in 1824–5, then in 1897 the site was sold to a predecessor of the
Nestlé company for condensed milk production. Since 2007 the site has been home to a
breakfast cereal factory, operated by subsidiary
Cereal Partners UK, a joint venture between Nestlé and
General Mills. The large, landmark chimney at the factory was removed in November 2011. == Railway ==