Hatley, Cambridgeshire

infobox UK place
country =England
latitude=52.1427
longitude= -0.1288
official_name=Hatley
population=205
shire_district=South Cambridgeshire
shire_county=Cambridgeshire
region=East of England
constituency_westminster=South Cambridgeshire
post_town=SANDY
postcode_district =SG19
postcode_area=SG
dial_code=01767
os_grid_reference=TL281510
static_

static_image_caption=
london_distance=

Hatley is a civil parish in South Cambridgeshire, England. It lies between the villages of Gamlingay and Croydon, 12 miles south-west of the city of Cambridge and eight miles south-east of the town of St Neots. In 2001, the population of Hatley parish was 205 people living in 77 households.

History

The Hatley name was in use as early as 986, derived from 'laie' or 'ley', a woodland clearing, or 'woodland clearing on the hill'. [Mills, A.D. (1998). A Dictionary of English Place-names. Second Edition. Oxford University Press, Oxford. p170. ISBN 0-19-280074-4] The spelling "Hatelaie" was used in the 1086 Domesday Book. The parishes were known as 'Hungry Hatley' by 1218, possibly because the clay soil could not be cultivated effectively until mechanisation in the 20th century. [http://www.hatley.info/about/briefhistory.htm Hatley.info: A brief history] ] The adjoining parish of Cockayne Hatley, in Bedfordshire, is said to be unconnected to the Cambridgeshire Hatleys. [ [http://www.hatley.info/about/index.htm Hatley.info: About Hatley] ]

In 1831, the population of the parish of Hatley St George was 105 people. [ [http://www.cambridgeshirehistory.com/cambridgeshire/TownsandVillages/HatleyStGeorge/ Cambridgeshire History.com: Hatley St George] ] At the time of the census in 1921, it was 67 people.

Governance

The parish was established in 1957 when the parish of Hatley St George was united with East Hatley. [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=66678 'Parishes: Hatley St. George', A History of the County of Cambridge and the Isle of Ely: Volume 5 (1973), pp. 104-111. Date accessed: 13 July 2008.] ] Hatley Parish Council comprises three members, a chairman, vice-chairman and a clerk. [ [http://www.hatley.info/pc/index.htm Hatley.info: Hatley Parish Council] ] The parish is represented on the South Cambridgeshire District Council by two councillors for the Gamlingay ward [ [http://www.scambs.gov.uk/CouncilAndDemocracy/Elections/newwards.htm South Cambridgeshire District Council: Electoral wards] ] and on Cambridgeshire County Council by one councillor for the Gamlingay electoral division. [ [http://www2.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/db/council1.nsf/menus/councillors?OpenDocument Cambridgeshire County Council: Councillors] ] It is in the parliamentary constituency of South Cambridgeshire, represented at the House of Commons by Andrew Lansley. [ [http://findyourmp.parliament.uk/commons/l/ UK Parliament: Find your MP] ]

Geography

Hatley is 12 miles south-west of the county town of Cambridge and 45 miles north of London. The elevation ranges between 55 and 79 metres (180-260 feet) above sea level. [ [http://www.getamap.co.uk Ordnance Survey: getamap.co.uk] ] The soil is clay subsoil with boulder clay. [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/CAM/HatleyStGeorge/ GENUKI: Hatley St George] ] The parish covers an area of 958 hectares. [http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/CA74044E-7A40-40F8-BE05-12745CCDB7CC/0/Hatley.pdf Cambridgeshire.gov.uk: Parish census profile 2001] ]

Around half of the land in Hatley parish belongs to the Hatley Park Estate. 76% of land is used for crops or fallow land; 9.5% is covered by grass, 4.9% by woodland and 7.1% by set-aside Wheat, barley and oilseed rape are grown. In summer, the estate's parkland is grazed by beef cattle and in winter by sheep. The farmyard at Church Farm, owned by the estate, has been converted to small business units. One other farm is in the parish and two neighbouring farmers use land in it.

There are two main settlements in the parish, connected by a minor road. Hatley St George consists of a row of houses along the Gamlingay-Croydon road. It has a small shop and post office [ [http://www.hatley.info/shop/index.htm Hatley.info: Shop and post office] ,] (subsidised by the estate) a playing field, playground and cricket club. It is presumed that the hamlet's name is derived from that of the St George family, who were the principal landowners from the 13th century to 1658. Hatley St George is an 'estate village' - Hatley Park Estate owns all the houses except for five. About a third are used for current and retired estate workers, with the others rented out.

East Hatley is a row of houses along a smaller road. It was formerly known as Castell Hatley. In 1929, the hamlet was owned by the Master and Fellows of Downing College, Cambridge. [ [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/CAM/EastHatley/ GENUKI: East Hatley] ] Sir George Downing, 1st Baronet, after whom Downing Street was named, owned land in East Hatley (his grandson, Sir George Downing, 3rd Baronet, founded Downing College).

Historically, East Hatley housed local farm labourers. Now, few agricultural workers live in East Hatley and it has been described as a 'small, middle-class commuter settlement'. The houses are mainly privately owned but there are three council-owned bungalows.

There is little interaction between the two communities Hatley village hall was built by the estate in 1960. It used to be run as a social club before it became financially unviable, closing in 2005, and is now run by the Parish Council. [ [http://www.hatley.info/localgroups/sportsandsocial.htm Hatley.info: Village hall] ]

Around one-third of the parish is occupied by Hatley Park, an area of private landscaped parkland south of the road, [http://www.hatley.info/leisure/historywalk.htm Hatley.info: History walk] ] formerly owned by Sir John Astor MBE [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2000/sep/13/guardianobituaries2 The Guardian: Sir John Astor obituary] ] .

Demography

The 2001 census recorded that the ethnic group of 98.6% of Hatley residents was white and 1.4% Asian or Asian British. 73.7% described themselves as Christian. In 1831, the population of the parish of Hatley St George was 105 people. [ [http://www.cambridgeshirehistory.com/cambridgeshire/TownsandVillages/HatleyStGeorge/ Cambridgeshire History.com: Hatley St George] ] At the time of the census in 1921, it was 67 people.

Hatley has a high rate of in-migration and commuting, and retains economically strong farming activities. Hatley Park once employed most Hatley St George residents. There was formerly a Thoroughbred stud farm in Hatley Park, employing 15 people, but it is now a livery yard staffed by two for most of the year. Seven Hatley St George residents were employed on the estate in 2007; a number of people work for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, whose headquarters is nearby at Sandy, Bedfordshire. 17.7% of residents were self-employed, 2.1% of Hatley residents were unemployed and 4% were employed in agriculture at the time of the 2001 census [http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/files/Land-Comm%20final%20report_final.pdf The Social Contribution of Land-based Industries to Rural Communities - Final report. Prepared for the Commission for Rural Communities by the Countryside and Community Research Unit, University of Gloucestershire. March 2007] ]

Landmarks

In addition to the two churches, two buildings in Hatley parish are listed: Hatley Park Lodge [ [http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=52761 Images of England: Lodge to Hatley Park] ] and model farm buildings at Church Farm, Hatley St George. [ [http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=52764 Images of England: Model farmbuildings] ]

There are remnants of ancient woodland: Buff Wood, between Hatley St George and East Hatley, is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) owned by the estate and managed by the local Wildlife Trust, and Hayley Wood, another SSSI, borders the parish in the north.

Religious sites

Hatley St George has a church dedicated to St George, which was first built in 1352. It is a Grade II* listed building. [ [http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=52760 Images of England: Church of St George] ] Services take place every two weeks. [http://www.ely.anglican.org/parishes/gamlingay/chhatley.htm The Diocese of Ely: St George, Hatley St George] ] East Hatley's church, dedicated to St Denis, has been disused since 1980. [ [http://www.haymills.com/projectdetails.php?id=122&PHPSESSID=1e83b93c1508150fa038c45888046c4a Haymills.com: St Denis Church, East Hatley] ] It is also a Grade II* listed building. [ [http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=52759 Images of England: Church of St Denis] ] Hatley's churches are part of the ecclesiastical parish of "Gamlingay with Hatley St George and East Hatley", in the diocese of Ely.

ee also

* List of places in Cambridgeshire

References