South Hanningfield is a village and civil parish in the Chelmsford district of Essex, England. The village is located on the south bank of the Hanningfield Reservoir, around 6 mi south-southeast of the city of Chelmsford, and around 2+1/2 mi north of Wickford. In 2011 the parish had a population of 2629. The centre of South Hanningfield is situated around the village green, known as the Tye. A village hall is located on the east side of the Tye, while on the west side is a pub, the Old Windmill. There are approximately 69 households in the village. St Peter's Church overlooks the reservoir. The civil parish includes the larger villages of Ramsden Heath and Downham.