High Offley
Encyclopedia
High Offley is a small village and civil parish in Staffordshire
, England
. It lies 3 miles southwest of the small town of Eccleshall
and about 1 mile west of the village of Woodseaves
, both on the A519
. Woodseaves is the largest settlement in the parish, which also includes the hamlet of Shebdon
to the WSW of High Offley, as well as a number of scattered houses and small farms (such as on Grub Street).
The Shropshire Union Canal
runs through the parish, to the southwest of the villages of High Offley and Woodseaves, with the Shebdon aqueduct and wharf in the west of the parish, from Shebdon towards Knighton.
There is a church dedicated to St Mary: "High Offley Church, St Mary, is an ancient Gothic
fabric, neatly pewed with oak. It has an excellent organ, which was given by John Salmon, Esq, of London, a native of this parish. It has several monuments of the Skrymsher and other families, and a handsome one was erected in 1851 in memory of the late Bishop Ryder, at the expense of the present vicar." Pevsner dates most of the church to the 13th century with some earlier Norman
features and some from later periods.
High Offley also once had a pub called the Royal Oak, which has now been converted into a private residence. In the parish, near to the village on Peggs Lane, and lying by the Shropshire Union Canal, is the popular Anchor Inn. Being a simple, traditional public house that has changed little in fifty years, it is very highly rated by the canal boating fraternity and many locals. It is regularly featured in the annual CAMRA
Good Beer Guide
and has a small gift shop
. It also gives its name to the adjacent bridge, which takes Peggs Lane over the canal.
Also within the parish are two pubs in Woodseaves (the Plough and Cock Inn) and one in the Shebdon area, which is also by the canal, called the Wharf Inn.
's Meaning of Liff, a High Offley is defined as a "Goosnargh
three weeks later".
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It lies 3 miles southwest of the small town of Eccleshall
Eccleshall
Eccleshall is a town in Staffordshire, England. It is located seven miles north west of Stafford, and six miles west of Stone. Eccleshall is twinned with Sancerre in France.-History:...
and about 1 mile west of the village of Woodseaves
Woodseaves
Woodseaves is a village in Staffordshire, England.It lies in the civil parish of High Offley and is situated on the A519 road and lies at the south-west end of the B5405 road, which leads to Great Bridgeford. Nearby are the villages of Gnosall and Norbury, the hamlets of Knightley and High Offley,...
, both on the A519
A519 road
The A519 is a road in the United Kingdom that runs between Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire and Newport, Shropshire.At Newport it meets the A518 and A41...
. Woodseaves is the largest settlement in the parish, which also includes the hamlet of Shebdon
Shebdon
Shebdon is a hamlet in the county of Staffordshire, England. It is part of the parish of High Offley, a small village approximately 1.5 miles to the ENE...
to the WSW of High Offley, as well as a number of scattered houses and small farms (such as on Grub Street).
The Shropshire Union Canal
Shropshire Union Canal
The Shropshire Union Canal is a navigable canal in England; the Llangollen and Montgomery canals are the modern names of branches of the Shropshire Union system and lie partially in Wales....
runs through the parish, to the southwest of the villages of High Offley and Woodseaves, with the Shebdon aqueduct and wharf in the west of the parish, from Shebdon towards Knighton.
Church
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
fabric, neatly pewed with oak. It has an excellent organ, which was given by John Salmon, Esq, of London, a native of this parish. It has several monuments of the Skrymsher and other families, and a handsome one was erected in 1851 in memory of the late Bishop Ryder, at the expense of the present vicar." Pevsner dates most of the church to the 13th century with some earlier Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
features and some from later periods.
Public houses
Campaign for Real Ale
The Campaign for Real Ale is an independent voluntary consumer organisation based in St Albans, England, whose main aims are promoting real ale, real cider and the traditional British pub...
Good Beer Guide
Good Beer Guide
The Good Beer Guide is a book published annually by the Campaign for Real Ale listing what they consider to be the best cask ale outlets in the United Kingdom.-Details:...
and has a small gift shop
Gift shop
A gift shop is a store primarily selling souvenirs relating to a particular topic or theme. The items sold often include coffee mugs, stuffed animals, t-shirts, postcards, handmade collections and other souvenirs....
. It also gives its name to the adjacent bridge, which takes Peggs Lane over the canal.
Also within the parish are two pubs in Woodseaves (the Plough and Cock Inn) and one in the Shebdon area, which is also by the canal, called the Wharf Inn.
In literature
In Douglas AdamsDouglas Adams
Douglas Noel Adams was an English writer and dramatist. He is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which started life in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy before developing into a "trilogy" of five books that sold over 15 million copies in his lifetime, a television...
's Meaning of Liff, a High Offley is defined as a "Goosnargh
Goosnargh
Goosnargh is a village and civil parish on the north side of Preston, Lancashire, England. The village lies between Broughton and Longridge, and mostly lies in the civil parish of Whittingham, although the ancient centre lies in the civil parish of Goosnargh...
three weeks later".