Shenley viewed from Woodhall Lane
A history of Shenley
(text by Shenley Village Society)
| Shenley is located in south-west Hertfordshire between St Albans and Barnet and is the first green belt village out of north London. It stands on a plateau at the top of a hill. |
|
The history of Shenley stretches back a thousand years or more - it is mentioned in the Domesday Book. The name Shenley is based on the Anglo-Saxon Scenlai, Scenlei or Senlai, which means ‘fair or bright clearing or wood’. In the early Middle Ages, south-west Hertfordshire was heavily wooded, with isolated farmsteads or hamlets in forest clearings. Shenley would have been one of these settlements. |
|
Shenley viewed from Woodhall Lane |
|
The early village was possibly located at the foot of Shenley Hill at the
site where St Botolph’s Church still stands. The earliest mention of this
church, now a private dwelling, is in 1136. By the 1300’s, Shenley was considered to be a convenient parish for a country estate, being within reasonable reach of London. Its pure air, after the smoke and fog of the city made it a healthy place to live. The present village of Shenley apparently grew to accommodate the families of those providing a variety of services for the country estates of the gentry. Parish Registers, dating back to 1657, include service occupations such as coachmen, bailiffs, bakers and labourers. Others worked in agriculture, as cattle drovers, shepherds and millers. Craftsmen in Shenley included tailors, weavers, shoemakers, cordwainers, brick makers, blacksmiths and carpenters. Tiles and bricks were made in the area, due to the abundance of suitable clay. |