Arley, New

Settlement in Warwickshire North Warwickshire

England

Arley, New

St Michael's Church, New Arley The Arley Colliery Company began mining coal locally in 1905. In the 1920s it built a company village of six hundred houses, called New Arley, and, in 1928, a company church to serve it, the Church of England parish church of St Michael. The style could perhaps be called colliers&#039; baroque. See the Victoria County History of Warwickshire, Vol. 6 pp8-12, which doesn&#039;t give the name of the architect <span class="nowrap"><a title="https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/warks/vol6/pp8-12" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/warks/vol6/pp8-12">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> . — St Michael's Church, New Arley Credit: A J Paxton

Arley is a small village located in the county of Warwickshire, England. Situated approximately 13 miles northwest of the city of Coventry, Arley is nestled in a rural area, surrounded by picturesque countryside and gentle rolling hills. The village is part of the larger civil parish of Ansley, which includes several nearby settlements.

Arley is known for its rich history, dating back to Saxon times. The village features a number of historic buildings, including St. Wilfrid's Church, which dates back to the 12th century and is renowned for its beautiful stained glass windows. The Arley Hall, an elegant manor house built in the 19th century, is another notable landmark in the village.

The village itself is relatively small, with a close-knit community of residents. It offers a peaceful and idyllic setting, making it a popular destination for those seeking a rural retreat. The surrounding countryside provides ample opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, and horseback riding.

Despite its tranquil atmosphere, Arley benefits from its proximity to larger towns and cities. Coventry, with its extensive range of amenities and cultural attractions, is easily accessible by road. The village is also well-connected to the rest of Warwickshire through a network of roads and public transportation.

In summary, Arley is a charming village in Warwickshire, offering a blend of history, natural beauty, and a peaceful rural lifestyle. Its historic buildings, scenic countryside, and proximity to larger towns make it an appealing destination for both residents and visitors.

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Arley, New Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 52.502763/-1.568319 or Grid Reference SP2989. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

St Michael's Church, New Arley

The Arley Colliery Company began mining coal locally in 1905. In the 1920s it built a company village of six hundred houses, called New Arley, and, in 1928, a company church to serve it, the Church of England parish church of St Michael. The style could perhaps be called colliers' baroque. See the Victoria County History of Warwickshire, Vol. 6 pp8-12, which doesn't give the name of the architect Link

A J Paxton

Catholic church of St Joseph, New Arley

The church stands at the western end of the former mining village, an area known as Gun Hill or Spring Hill. It was built in 1996 to designs by John D Holmes. It replaced a nearby timber church of the 1920s. See the Taking Stock site, which describes the new church as 'flexible in character and modest in architectural aspiration.' Link

A J Paxton

Arley industrial estate and Arley Wood

The industrial units are viewed from the path from Spring Hill to Daffern's Wood; they occupy the site of Arley Colliery, which closed in 1968. Arley Wood blankets the horizon. This ancient woodland was replanted with conifers in the 1960s, apparently to provide pit props for the mine; see SP2891 : A young oak tree among the conifers, Arley Wood.

A J Paxton

Daffern's Wood, New Arley

Situated on the western edge of New Arley, Daffern's Wood is roughly triangular in shape and about three hectares in extent. According to the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust it is an ancient semi-natural wood which has been documented back to around 1600. It is a Local Nature Reserve. Link

. A public footpath passes below the wood, which can be entered from the stile visible at the left of the picture.

A J Paxton

Birch and hazel in Daffern's Wood

For more information on this Local Nature Reserve see SP2889 : Daffern's Wood, New Arley.

A J Paxton

New Arley seen from Gorsy Spinney

From the birch trees of the spinney a footpath runs southwards to Wood End, following the edges of fields and passing the eastern tip of New Arley village.

A J Paxton

Birch trees at Gorsy Spinney, Arley

A path runs through the wood on the edge of the football ground at Hill Top. public footpaths lead from here to Astley and Wood End.

A J Paxton

New Arley reflections

The path from New Arley to Wood End runs along the edge of a large field, which was very wet after heavy autumn rain.

A J Paxton

Lost in a muddy field, Wood End

Well, I knew where I was on the map, but had lost the footpath. North Warwickshire has some good walking country, but signposting is often poor. The path had crossed a ditch and a field boundary without warning.

A J Paxton

Field path, Wood End

At last, a signpost, though the sign itself was broken and faded.

A J Paxton

E D Thompson, Wood End Lane

A former village store awaits a new use - probably housing, like the converted chapel nearby.

A J Paxton

Old Arley with church tower

So named to distinguish it from the neighbouring mining village of New Arley, Old Arley predates the modern coal industry by centuries. St Wilfrid's church was built in the 14th century and was restored in 1873; see the listing at the Historic England site Link

A J Paxton

Former village school, Old Arley

Arley acquired a free school in 1875, according to Wikipedia Link

; this was presumably the building, now converted into housing.

A J Paxton

Yew arch, Arley churchyard

Two yew trees growing to either side of the gates to St Wilfrid's churchyard form a pointed arch. The tree to the right seems to be having a bad hair day (or perhaps a bad hair epoch, since these are yews and very long-lived).

A J Paxton

Path through Arley Wood

The ancient Arley Wood was turned into a conifer plantation in the 1960s, with a great loss of wildlife; note the ranks of trees of a single species and the dense undergrowth of bracken. It is now slowly being replanted with native broadleaved species such as oak. See SP2891 : A young oak tree among the conifers, Arley Wood and SP2891 : Oak tree in Arley Wood. Though the loss is greatly to be regretted, it remains a peaceful place, beautiful in its way, the rustling of the trees blotting out human noise, apart from the occasional passing of aircraft overhead or the hooting of a train on the nearby railway.

A J Paxton

South Eastern gate to Arley Wood, with snail bench

The bench was installed on the route of an Arley parish walk, an offshoot of a longer North Warwickshire Heritage Trail. It carries a couplet from the poem 'Leisure', by the Welsh poet and tramp W H Davies. The whole poem can be seen at his Wikipedia entry Link

; for the footpaths, see the North Warwickshire council site Link

A J Paxton

Ash trees by the lane to Arley House Farm

A row, almost a small grove, of ash trees flourishes between the lane and a small brook that flows around landscaped former colliery land. For how much longer, though? The threat of ash dieback makes me want to photograph ash trees to record them for posterity.

A J Paxton