Offley

{{Short description|Civil parish in Hertfordshire, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}} {{Use British English|date=September 2015}} {{for|locations in Ireland|Offaly (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox UK place |country = England |official_name= Offley |static_image= Village sign, Offley.jpg |static_image_caption= Offley village sign with Green Man public house behind to left |static_image_width= 240px |coordinates = {{coord|51.9279|-0.3361|display=inline,title}} | population = 1,646 | population_ref = (Parish, 2021)<ref name=2021census>{{cite web |title=2021 Census Parish Profiles |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/sources/census_2021_pp |website=NOMIS |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=31 March 2025}} (To get individual parish data, use the query function on table PP002.)</ref> |shire_district= [[North Hertfordshire]] |shire_county= [[Hertfordshire]] |region= East of England |constituency_westminster= [[Hitchin (constituency)|Hitchin]] <!-- 2024 --> |post_town= HITCHIN |postcode_area= SG |postcode_district= SG5 |post_town1= LUTON |postcode_area1= LU |postcode_district1= LU2 |dial_code= 01462 |dial_code1= 01582 |os_grid_reference= TL148262 }}

'''Offley''' is a [[civil parish]] in the [[North Hertfordshire]] district of [[Hertfordshire]], England. The main village is '''Great Offley''', also known as Offley, which stands on a ridge of high ground. The parish covers most of the area between the towns of [[Hitchin]] to the east and [[Luton]] to the west. The northern part of the parish lies within the designated [[Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty]] of the [[Chiltern Hills]]. The parish also includes numerous hamlets, including '''Little Offley''', '''Cockernhoe''', and '''Tea Green'''. At the western end of the parish, adjoining the edge of Luton, is the [[Putteridge Bury]] estate which now serves as a campus of the [[University of Bedfordshire]]. The parish had a population of 1,646 at the [[2021 United Kingdom census|2021 census]].

==Great Offley== Great Offley lies on the top of a chalk escarpment ridge (521&nbsp;ft/159 metres above sea level) in the centre of the parish (the most north eastern ridge of the [[Chiltern Hills]]). Road signs and Ordnance Survey maps call the village Great Offley, but the [[Royal Mail]] just uses Offley in postal addresses.<ref>{{cite web |title=Find an address |url=https://www.royalmail.com/find-a-postcode |website=Royal Mail |access-date=25 April 2025}} (See postcode SG5 3AR as an example.)</ref>

[[Offa]], King of [[Mercia]] in the 8th century, is said to have built a palace here and thus gave his name to the village. There is a most interesting group of buildings, including Offley Place, which was rebuilt in 1810 but which retains a Tudor porch and a 17th-century wing.

[[File:Offley Church.JPG|thumb|left|St Mary Magdalene's Church]] The parish church is dedicated to [[St Mary Magdalene]] and contains some attractive monuments. Its [[nave]] dates back to the 13th century. The [[chancel]] was extensively remodelled by Sir Thomas Salusbury in the 18th century, and the tower was rebuilt in brick in 1800.<ref>{{NHLE|desc=Church of St Mary Magdalene|num=1347084|grade=I}}</ref>

The village was by-passed by the [[A505]] dual carriageway in the 1970s. Close to the centre of the village is a water tower, near which stands a radio mast owned by [[Arqiva]] and used by utility companies. The village has two public houses, the Green Man and the Red Lion, a primary school, and a village hall.

==Little Offley== '''Little Offley''' is a small hamlet lying {{frac|1|1|2}} miles north-west of Great Offley, and it is reached via a bridge over the [[A505 road|A505]]. It contains a late [[Tudor period|Tudor]] brick-built [[manor house]].

The [[Hitchin Yeshiva]] is based in Wellbury House which is a mile north east of Little Offley.

==Cockernhoe== [[File:Cockernhoe Green.jpg|thumb|Cockernhoe Green]] Cockernhoe lies {{frac|2|1|2}} miles south-west of Great Offley. Cockernhoe is clustered around two greens. To the south is the larger Cockernhoe Green, where there is a primary school and a small [[tin tabernacle]] church dedicated to St Hugh. To the north is the smaller Mangrove Green, where there is a pub, the King William IV.

[[File:GOC Breachwood Green 016 St Hugh's Church, Cockernhoe (14338743437).jpg|thumb|St Hugh's Church, Cockernhoe]] Much of the area between Cockernhoe and the eastern edge of Luton is allocated for development as an eastern extension of Luton for approximately 2,100 homes as part of the North Hertfordshire Local Plan, adopted in 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=North Herts Local Plan 2011–2031 |url=https://www.north-herts.gov.uk/north-herts-local-plan-2011-2031 |website=North Herts Council |access-date=3 May 2025}}</ref> The scheme is opposed by Offley Parish Council,<ref>{{cite web |title=Offley Parish Council opposes 2,100 homes East of Luton |url=https://offleyparishcouncil.gov.uk/offley-parish-council-opposes-2100-homes-east-of-luton/ |website=Offley Parish Council |access-date=3 May 2025}}</ref> as well as campaign groups including [[Campaign to Protect Rural England]] and a local group called Keep East of Luton Green.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.keolg.org/ |title=KEOLG - Keep East of Luton Green - Green Belt - CPRE - campaign |access-date=2009-01-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214092644/http://www.keolg.org/ |archive-date=14 February 2009 |df=dmy-all }} website accessed 11/01/2009</ref>

==Tea Green== The hamlet of Tea Green lies {{frac|2|1|2}} miles south of Great Offley. Tea Green sits on top of a chalk ridge on the opposite side of [[Lilley, Hertfordshire|Lilley]] Bottom Valley. A major landmark is the tall water tower which is next to the White Horse pub.

Two of the oldest barns in the area (dating from the 16th century) are located at Tankards and Crutchmore Farms.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.offleypc.org.uk/history.php|title=Local History - Offley Parish Council in Hertfordshire|website=www.offleypc.org.uk}}</ref>

== Putteridge Bury == {{main|Putteridge Bury}} [[File:Putteridge bury.jpg|thumb|Putteridge Bury]] The Putteridge Bury estate comprises the grounds of a mansion designed by [[Ernest George]] and Alfred Yeats in the style of [[Chequers]]. It was completed in 1911, replacing an earlier house on the site. The grounds were redesigned by [[Edwin Lutyens]] and planted by [[Gertrude Jekyll]]. Particular features are the reflective pool and massive [[Taxus baccata|yew]] hedges.<ref>{{NHLE|desc=Putteridge Bury|num=1000917|grade=II}}</ref> The estate was bought by [[Luton Borough Council]] in 1965 to serve as a teacher training college.<ref>{{NHLE|desc=Putteridge Bury (Luton College of Higher Education)|grade=II|num=1347083}}</ref> It has remained in educational use since then; since 2006, it has been a campus of the [[University of Bedfordshire]].

The Putteridge estate is a mixture of arable farmland and woodland; as well as the occasional visiting [[muntjac]] and [[fallow deer]], the estate is home to [[Lady Amherst's pheasant]] (''Chrysolophus amherstiae'') as well as the more common pheasant.

==Landscape== The land use in the parish is a mixture of [[arable land|arable]], and [[woodland]] with some minor seasonal grazing for beef [[cattle]] and [[sheep]]. To the east of the village all the round to the south east forms part of the [[King's Walden]] estate. During the winter months [[Common pheasant|pheasant]] and [[partridge]] shooting takes with several shooting syndicates operating to the north of the village as well as a big shoot organised by King's Walden Estate.

[[Red kites]] along with [[common buzzard]] and [[Eurasian sparrowhawk|sparrowhawk]]s can be seen in the area.<ref name="Chilterns">{{cite web|url=http://www.chilternsaonb.org/downloads/farm_birds_survey.pdf|title=Breeding Bird Survey of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty 2002|last=Schurmer|first=Michael|date=November 2002|publisher=RSPB|access-date=26 October 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613151528/http://www.chilternsaonb.org/downloads/farm_birds_survey.pdf|archive-date=13 June 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Much of the woodland is not used for timber and is made up of [[oak]], [[beech]] and [[aesculus|horse chestnut]] trees, with smaller plantations of [[pine]] and [[spruce]]. During the [[spring (season)|spring]] many of the woods are carpeted with [[common bluebell|bluebells]].

The area is home to a sizeable herd of [[fallow deer]] and [[muntjac]] can also be seen.

===Chiltern Way=== The 152-mile [[Chiltern Way]] long-distance footpath passes through the parish,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_name=Chiltern+Way|title=Chiltern Way - LDWA Long Distance Paths|website=www.ldwa.org.uk}}</ref> as does the 170-mile [[Chiltern Cycleway|Chilterns Cycleway]].<ref>[http://www.chilternsociety.org.uk/about-ChCyWay.php/ The Chilterns Cycleway, Chiltern Society website (accessed 04/07/10)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100711181859/http://www.chilternsociety.org.uk/about-ChCyWay.php |date=11 July 2010 }}</ref>

==Governance== [[File:Offley Village Hall.jpg|thumb|Offley Village Hall]] There are three tiers of local government covering Offley, at [[Parish council (England)|parish]], [[non-metropolitan district|district]], and [[non-metropolitan county|county]] level: Offley Parish Council, North Hertfordshire District Council, and [[Hertfordshire County Council]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Election Maps |url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/ |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=1 May 2025}}</ref> The parish council generally meets alternately at Offley Village Hall and Cockernhoe Memorial Hall.<ref>{{cite web |title=Parish Council meeting dates |url=https://offleyparishcouncil.gov.uk/notices/2024-parish-council-meeting-dates/ |website=Offley Parish Council |access-date=3 May 2025}}</ref>

== Offley at War 1939 - 1945==

Offley was Headquarters for an [[Auxiliary Territorial Service|Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS)]] Searchlight unit based in Hoo Lane, that had detachments in Hitchin along Bedford Road, Chapel Foot along London Road, as well as at [[Whitwell, Hertfordshire|Whitwell]] and [[King's Walden|Diamond End]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/57/a6336957.shtml|title=BBC Peoples War, Una Bracey Remembers}}</ref>

===Lancaster bomber crash===

At 7.15am on 18 July 1944 a [[Avro Lancaster|Lancaster Mk.111]] bomber belonging to [[No. 115 Squadron RAF|115 Squadron RAF]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lostbombers.co.uk/results.php?type=Lancaster&pagefrom=90/|title=lostbombers.co.uk|website=www.lostbombers.co.uk}}</ref><ref>[http://www.aircrewremembrancesociety.com/raf1944/2/lettssydney.html/ Aircrew Remembrance Society (website accessed 15.07.10)]</ref> crashed into the farmhouse at West End Farm ({{coord|51.934070|-0.343035 |format=dms}}) killing the crew as well as the farmer{{'}}s wife and two daughters (one of whom was home on leave from the [[Auxiliary Territorial Service]]).

The aircraft LM616 (KO J) had left its base at [[Witchford|RAF Witchford]] near [[Ely, Cambridgeshire|Ely]] several hours earlier to support [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] ground forces taking part in [[Operation Goodwood]] during the [[Operation Cobra|Normandy campaign]]. The [[Royal Air Force]] and [[United States Army Air Forces]] objective was to bomb units of the [[Luftwaffe Field Division|16th Luftwaffe Field Division]] and the [[21st Panzer Division]] which were located around [[Caen]], [[France]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/jul44.html/|title=Royal Air Force Bomber Command 60th Anniversary Campaign Diary, July 1944 (website accessed: 07/07/2010)|access-date=3 July 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606110310/http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/jul44.html|archive-date=6 June 2011|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

LM616 received severe damage during the raid, in which its controls and navigation aids were shot up. The aircraft had descended through low cloud only to see the high escarpment of the [[Chiltern Hills]] at Offley loom into view too late for the crew to take immediate action. The aircraft hit trees in a wood on top of Birkitt Hill before colliding with the farmhouse at West End Farm.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/27/a7880727.shtml|title=BBC Peoples War, Lancaster Bomber Crashes on Great Offley Farmhouse}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lostbombers.co.uk/bomber.php?id=2578|title=lostbombers.co.uk|website=www.lostbombers.co.uk}}</ref><ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/41/a6336641.shtml|title= BBC Peoples War, Brian Limbrick's Wartime Childhood 1942 to 1945}}</ref>

===Glebe Farm Explosion===

At 3&nbsp;pm on 8 January 1945, a US Army lorry carrying [[munitions]] was involved in a road accident with a petrol tanker as it was passing Glebe Farm at the Flints.

The drivers managed to evacuate nearby residents; however, a bus from Luton came round the corner just as an explosion occurred, killing three US servicemen on the bus and injuring 21 others. The explosion was so severe that it made a crater on the road 50 feet wide and 14 feet deep.

The Windmill and Farm were completely destroyed and Flint cottages were severely damaged, other houses in Offley suffered extensive blast damage.<ref name="autogenerated1"/><ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/39/a6371039.shtml/ BBC Peoples War Alex Tooley remembers]{{dead link|date=July 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name="Images">Hillyard. Angela M. Images of Old Offley. Published 1993</ref>

==Population== At the [[2021 United Kingdom census|2021 census]], the population of the parish was 1,646.<ref name=2021census/> The population had been 1,307 in 2001,<ref>Office for National Statistics, [http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=795325&c=Offley&d=16&e=15&g=455002&i=1001x1003x1004&o=1&m=0&r=1&s=1227900650297&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 2001 Census Parish Headcounts for Offley] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622123842/http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=795325&c=Offley&d=16&e=15&g=455002&i=1001x1003x1004&o=1&m=0&r=1&s=1227900650297&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 |date=22 June 2011 }}.</ref> and 1,398 in 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11127209&c=Offley&d=16&e=62&g=6434005&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1477941926268&enc=1|title=Civil Parish population 2011|access-date=31 October 2016|publisher=Office for National Statistics |work=Neighbourhood Statistics}}</ref>

==Sport and recreation==

* Offley and Stopsley Cricket Club,<ref name="Offley & Stopsley Cricket Club">{{cite web|url=http://www.oscricket.com/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120909031550/http://www.oscricket.com/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=9 September 2012|title=Offley & Stopsley Cricket Club|website=www.oscricket.com}}</ref> play at the Recreation Ground.<ref name="Offley & Stopsley Cricket Club"/> * Offley and District Riding Club have at least four shows at the Old Football Field, Luton White Hill. * Luton and District Aeronautical Society fly remote control model aircraft at a field at the top of Chalk Hill to the south east of the village.

There is also a fishing club which uses the Long Pond and the Pump Pond which are located along Salusbury Lane.

==References== <references/>

==External links== {{Commons category-inline}} *[http://www.thesmith.org.uk/places/offley/village.html Great Offley] - a resident's page about local history with many images. *{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20051230144514/http://www.oscricket.com/ Offley & Stopsley Cricket Club]}} - Contains pictures, match reports, results, statistics and features from the cricket club *[https://web.archive.org/web/20090615081920/http://www.offley.herts.sch.uk/index.html Offley Endowed Primary School] *[http://www.cockernhoe.herts.sch.uk/ Cockernhoe Endowed C of E Primary School] *[http://www.offleypc.org.uk/ Offley Parish Council]

{{Civil parishes of Hertfordshire}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Offley}} [[Category:Villages in Hertfordshire]] [[Category:Civil parishes in Hertfordshire]]