Langley with Hardley

{{Infobox UK place

| country = England

| coordinates = {{coord|52.561952|1.484871|display=inline,title}}

| os_grid_reference = TG373010

| official_name = Langley with Hardley

| population = 490

| static_image = File:Rear of St Margaret's Church, Hardley - geograph.org.uk - 6159749.jpg

| static_image_caption = St. Margaret's Church

| shire_district = South Norfolk

| shire_county = Norfolk

| region = East of England

| civil_parish = Langley with Hardley

| constituency_westminster = South Norfolk

| postcode_district = NR14

| postcode_area = NR

| post_town = NORWICH

| dial_code = 01508

| london_distance =

| area_total_sq_mi = 5.81

| hide_services = Yes

}}

Langley with Hardley is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk, consisting of the separate villages of Langley and Hardley.

Langley with Hardley is located {{Convert|1.9|mi|km}} north of Loddon and {{Convert|9.3|mi|km}} south-west of Norwich, along the River Yare and within the Norfolk Broads.

History

Langley's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for long-wood clearing.{{Cite web |title=Key to English Place-names |url=http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Norfolk/Langley |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=kepn.nottingham.ac.uk}} Whereas, Hardley's name derives from the Old English for hard-wood clearing.{{Cite web |title=Key to English Place-names |url=http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Norfolk/Hardley |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=kepn.nottingham.ac.uk}}

In the Domesday Book, Langley is listed as a settlement of 39 households in the hundred of Lodding. In 1086, the village was part of the East Anglian estates of William de Beaufeu.{{Cite web |title=Langley {{!}} Domesday Book |url=https://opendomesday.org/place/TG3500/langley/ |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=opendomesday.org}} Whereas, Hardley is listed as a settlement of 9 households in the hundred of Lodding. In 1086, the village was part of the East Anglian estates of St Benet's Abbey.{{Cite web |title=Hardley {{!}} Domesday Book |url=https://opendomesday.org/place/TG3800/hardley/ |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=opendomesday.org}}

Langley Abbey was a Premonstratensians monastery which was built in 1195, founded by Robert fitzRoger. At the time of the dissolution of the monasteries, the monastic property was sold to the Berney family who held it until the Eighteenth Century. In 2010, the abbey opened as a museum.{{Cite web |title=Langley Abbey, Langley with Hardley - 1004001 {{!}} Historic England |url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1004001 |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=historicengland.org.uk |language=en}}

Langley Hall was built in 1740 in the Palladian style by Matthew Brettingham and later expanded by Anthony Salvin.{{Cite web |title=mnf10362 - Norfolk Heritage Explorer |url=https://www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/record-details |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk}} In 1910, the hall became Langley School: a private, fee-paying school open to boarding male and female students. The current headmaster is Mr. S. Cooke and notable alumni include Sir John Mills.{{Cite web |title=Independent Day & Boarding School {{!}} Norfolk & Suffolk {{!}} Langley |url=https://langleyschool.co.uk/ |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=Langley School |language=en-US}}

On 25 August 1959, a Hawker Hunter of No. 74 Squadron RAF crashed in Langley after carrying out unauthorised acrobatics. The pilot (Flight-Lieutenant P. P. Rayner) ejected safely with the aircraft crashing in Langley, it is reported that the engine landed on the doorstep of Hazelmere Cottage.{{Cite web |title=mnf19530 - Norfolk Heritage Explorer |url=https://www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/record-details |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk}}{{Cite web |last=Ranter |first=Harro |title=Accident Hawker Hunter F Mk 6 XF502, Tuesday 25 August 1959 |url=https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/144605 |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=asn.flightsafety.org}}

Geography

According to the 2021 census, Langley with Hardley has a total population of 490 people which demonstrates an increase from the 488 people listed in the 2011 census.{{Cite web |title=Langley with Hardley (Parish, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/eastofengland/admin/south_norfolk/E04006569__langley_with_hardley/ |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=www.citypopulation.de}}

St. Margaret's Church

Hardley's church is dedicated to Saint Margaret and dates from the Fourteenth Century, being one of Norfolk's 124 remaining round-tower churches. St. Margaret's is located on Lower Hardley Road and has been Grade I listed since 1960.{{Cite web |title=CHURCH OF ST MARGARET HARDLEY, Langley with Hardley - 1050636 {{!}} Historic England |url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1050636 |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=historicengland.org.uk |language=en}} The church still holds Sunday service once a month and is part of the Chet Valley Benefice.{{Cite web |title=Hardley: St Margaret |url=https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/2870/service-and-events/events-all/ |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=www.achurchnearyou.com |language=en}}

St. Margaret's was sympathetically restored in the Victorian era and still retains many of its medieval features.{{Cite web |title=Norfolk Churches |url=http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/hardley/hardley.htm |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=www.norfolkchurches.co.uk}}

St. Michael's Church

Langley's church is dedicated to Saint Michael and dates from the Fourteenth Century. St. Michael's is located on Stone Lane and has been Grade I listed since 1960.{{Cite web |title=CHURCH OF ST MICHAEL, Langley with Hardley - 1373104 {{!}} Historic England |url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1373104 |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=historicengland.org.uk |language=en}} The church is no longer open for Sunday service.{{Cite web |title=Langley: St Michael and All Saints |url=https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/10156/service-and-events/events-all/ |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=www.achurchnearyou.com |language=en}}

St. Michael's holds many stained-glass windows which were imported from the Continent and was heavily restored in the Victorian era.{{Cite web |title=Norfolk Churches |url=http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/langley/langley.htm |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=www.norfolkchurches.co.uk}}

Governance

Langley with Hardley is part of the electoral ward of Loddon & Chedgrave for local elections and is part of the district of South Norfolk.

The village's national constituency is South Norfolk which has been represented by the Labour's Ben Goldsborough MP since 2024.

War Memorial

Langley War Memorial is a stone triangle memorial located at the crossroads with the village whereas Hardley War Memorial is a memorial topped with a wheel-cross close to St. Margaret's Churchyard. Together, the war memorials list the following names for the First World War:{{Cite web |title=Roll of Honour - Norfolk - Langley |url=https://roll-of-honour.com/Norfolk/Langley.html |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=roll-of-honour.com}}{{Cite web |title=Roll of Honour - Norfolk - Hardley |url=https://roll-of-honour.com/Norfolk/Hardley.html |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=roll-of-honour.com}}{{Cite web |title=Geograph:: Lakenham to Lyng :: War Memorials in Norfolk |url=https://www.geograph.org.uk/article/War-Memorials-in-Norfolk/12#lakenham-to-lyng |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=www.geograph.org.uk}}{{Cite web |title=Geograph:: Hackford to Hunworth :: War Memorials in Norfolk |url=https://www.geograph.org.uk/article/War-Memorials-in-Norfolk/10#hackford-to-hunworth |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=www.geograph.org.uk}}

class="wikitable"

!Rank

!Name

!Unit

!Date of Death

!Burial/Commemoration

LtCol.

|H. Proctor-Beachamp

|5th Bn., Norfolk Regiment

|12 Aug. 1915

|Helles Memorial

2Lt.