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The VillageHistory : Map : Aerial Photos A Brief History of BarleyThere have been settlements in the parish of Barley for, perhaps 3000 years, from the Bronze Age dwellers who built a hill fort on the chalk hills near Royston, through to Iron Age farmers on the north edge of the village around 100 BC. The Romans left evidence of occupation and burials to the west, but it was in Saxon times that the village acquired its name, not from the crop widely grown in the area but corrupted over the years from Beora's Ley, describing a Saxon Lord's clearing in woodland. In the Domesday Book it is recorded as Berlei.
Village people have provided some footnotes in history, notably two Archbishops of Canterbury and the first English mayor of New York. Pioneering scientists, including a recent Nobel Prize winner, have valued the atmosphere of the village and it's surrounding countryside. It has inspired artists, writers and musicians but whatever your role in life it is the perfect place to live! Geoffrey Wilkerson Aerial Pictures
A Map of Barley
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In the early
days the village would have been centred on the Church; the first recorded priest was
Alaric the Dane in 1123. A more substantial building was erected in Norman Times,
the chancel arch still remains and was incorporated in a significant rebuilding to designs
by William Butterfield in 1872. Opposite the Church is the Town House, built around
1530 and used for many purposes since: as a school, for storing the village fire engine
and the 'Town Arms' and for the 'Keeping of maides marriages' (almshouses for
spinsters). Now it is a fine and unique village hall and licensed for civil
marriages.
Some of the older houses can be identified on a
map of the village compiled in 1593; the Priors (at Richmonds Garage) and
Horseshoe Farm are mentioned by name. The Cross Hill is a focus of Barley history, with the Fox and Hounds pub and
it's sign spanning the road, moved from the High Street when the original pub of that name
burned down in 1950. The War Memorial was built in 1919 and next to it is the Cage
or Lock-up, built in the 17th century to deter local criminals. At the Old Forge the
King family used to shoe horses and make fine wrought iron work and now it is used for
repairing veteran cars. Along the London Road is a milestone set in the hedge, one
of 16 put up in 1730 to record distances to London and Cambridge.
However, Barley is far more than a
collection of historic buildings. It is a thriving community blessed with a fine
First School, the services of a shop, two pubs and two garages. Farms and small
businesses provide employment for some, whilst the good communications attract
commuters. The community spirit is reflected in a variety of clubs and
organisations, and the ability of the village to raise funds for maintaining the old
buildings, such as the Town House, supporting the school and embarking on new schemes to
benefit the inhabitants, such as the provision of a children's area and sports facilities
in the Plaistow, two acres of land given to the people of the village by King Edgar in the
10th century.
Click
on a place of interest for more details.