One does one's best to avoid flying over villages when arriving at a new aerodrome, but really - is there any legal force behind these noise abatement procedures,
Quite possibly a legal obligation on the airfield operator. That won't be binding on you, but if you don't comply then the operator could decide to ban you in order to fulfil their obligations.
There is no ban on noise lorries, buses, motor bikes, tractors, combine harvesters, bulldozers, army tanks (the list goes on...) passing through these villages.
Actually, there often is such a ban. This evening I drove through two villages with bans on heavy vehicles.
Keeping a good lookout and going around the circuit the right direction should be the priority - following complicated circuit procedures is secondary.
So you just follow the circuit direction, never mind the location of the circuit? Bet that makes you popular!
Every time I visit my home aerodrome I find there is something more I am supposed to know. Being 700 feet agl passing over certain powerlines is the latest. Wouldn't it just be ok if I just use my own judgement to avoid them?
Bet that makes you even more popular.
I think there's a balance to be struck here. Airmanship comes first, of course. But it's quite reasonable to minimise interference with others, and to say that just because you live in a noisy area, then others have to put up with noise is a bit selfish. Sometimes local procedures are a bit complicated, and I've certainly not always followed them at airfields I'm not familiar with. But I do try. Why is that a problem? I really don't get this attitude of "I've got a perfect right to annoy the heck out of other people, and I'm going to". Live and let live.