Shenley
| Shenley | |
| Hertfordshire | |
|---|---|
 Shenley Cage and Pond | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | TL187007 |
| Location: | 51°41’31"N, 0°16’55"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Radlett |
| Postcode: | WD7 |
| Dialling code: | 01923 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Hertsmere |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Hertsmere |
Shenley is a village in Hertfordshire, sitting between Barnet and St Albans. It is found just to the east of Radlett.
Shenley is a village of two halves: the original village sits to the south of the crossroads, a place of old cottages and respectable houses and businesses. North of the crossroads though is a new development as large as the old village, built in recently years on the site of an old LCC hospital, a development in great contrast to old Shenley.
History
The history of Shenley stretches back a thousand years or more. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Scenlai, Scenlei and Senlai, the name is Old English, means "bright clearing" or "meadow".
By the 14th century, 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.
Although many of Shenley’s population were involved in humble occupations, the village was considered quite prosperous. In 1754 the village was assessed to be the sixteenth highest parish in the county (excluding the areas around St Albans) and by 1823, the rateable value of the parish was £9,796.00, with only nine other parishes in the county rating higher.
During the First World War, part of the land at Porters was requisitioned and used as an aerodrome. Later Mr Raphael sold the land to Middlesex County Council in 1924 and, several years later, two psychiatric hospitals were built on the land. The design was such that as many of the existing buildings as possible were incorporated, including the mansion, the walled garden, stables and coach houses. King George V and Queen Mary officially opened the hospital in 1934. During the Second World War, part of the hospital was used as a military hospital, with three thousand wounded soldiers being treated there.
Shenley Hospital remained in service for over 60 years. It was then sold off to property developers for housing. It was not without some trepidation that some of the old-time residents viewed what had been described as an annex to Shenley but what, in reality, would more than double the number of residences in the village. The development took place, but as well as houses Shenley Park was developed and maintained for the enjoyment of the whole village. These included preserving the orchard and spinney for pleasant walks and recreation, landscaping the walled garden, which are often open to the public and host a number of events throughout the year, redeveloping the tennis courts to a high standard, and, more recently, the introduction of a teashop and play area.
Sport
- Cricket: Shenley Cricket Centre is here. At the heart of the centre is the 19th century pavilion, originally designed by W G Grace. The cricketing theme runs through many of the road names on the Porters Park housing estate
- Football: Arsenal Football Club have a training ground in Shenley with state-of-the-art facilities. It was opened in 2000.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Shenley) |