Layer de la Haye (often spelled Layer-de-la-Haye; locally known just as Layer) is a small village of around 2,000 people, measured at 1,767
[ in the 2011 Census, near ]Colchester
Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian.
Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colches ...
in Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
, England.
History
The village is thought to have been founded in Saxon times, with its original name, Legra, meaning 'lookout'. Its elevation made it an ideal vantage point for the Saxons against raiding parties from the coast. Later its name changed to Leire or Leger, meaning 'mud'. A Norse word, this is likely to have referred to the soil and marshland around the village. During the time of the Norman Conquests, the village was "owned" by the de la Hayes, and its name thus changed to Layer de la Haye. Layer was ravaged by the Black Plague
The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causi ...
of the 14th Century. The Church became derelict until it was restored by monks.
In 1289, John de Rye donated 160 acres (650,000 m2) of land to St John's Abbey in Colchester. As a token of appreciation, a manor and farm were named after him (Rye Manor and Rye Farm respectively). At the end of the 15th century, the Abbey built a toll-gate house, now called the Greate House (originally the Gate House) near Malting Green.
At the time of the dissolution of the Monasteries which began in 1536, Sir Thomas Audley, who in turn became speaker of the House of Commons and Lord Chancellor, appropriated the manors of Rye and Blind Knights, together with the Mill and the patronage of the benefice. Layer Mill is mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
as a water-mill. The mill wheel was powered by water from the Roman River
The Roman River is a river that flows entirely through the English county of Essex. It is a tributary of the River Colne, flowing into its tidal estuary below Colchester. The lower end of the Roman River is also tidal, with tidal water flowing ...
.
Within the churchyard of St John the Baptist lie the graves of Arthur Cecil Alport
Arthur Cecil Alport, M.D. (1880–1959) was a South African physician who first identified the Alport syndrome in a British family in 1927.
Biography
After graduating in medicine from the University of Edinburgh Medical School with an MB ChB in ...
(a South African physician who first identified the Alport syndrome
Alport syndrome is a genetic disorder affecting around 1 in 5,000-10,000 children, characterized by glomerulonephritis, end-stage kidney disease, and hearing loss. Alport syndrome can also affect the eyes, though the changes do not usually affect v ...
in a British family in 1927), Cuthbert Alport
Cuthbert James McCall Alport, Baron Alport, (22 March 1912 – 28 October 1998) was a Conservative Party politician, minister, and life peer.
Early life
"Cub" Alport was educated at Haileybury College, Haileybury, Hertfordshire, England, a ...
(a Conservative Party politician, minister and life peer) and General Sir Ivo Vesey
General Sir Ivo Lucius Beresford Vesey (11 August 1876 – 19 February 1975) was a British Army officer who served as Chief of the General Staff in India from 1937 to 1939.
Military career
Born the second son of Major General George Henry Vese ...
(a British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
officer who served as Chief of the General Staff in India from 1937 to 1939).
Layer de la Haye is among the villages which suffered damage from the 1884 Colchester earthquake
Events
January–March
* January 4 – The Fabian Society is founded in London.
* January 5 – Gilbert and Sullivan's ''Princess Ida'' premières at the Savoy Theatre, London.
* January 18 – Dr. William Price attemp ...
.
Population
In 1950 its population was under 700; by 1975 it was over 1,000 and in 1990 it was just short of 2,000. However, the proximity of Colchester, with its large range of shops and facilities, eventually forced all of the three shops in Layer to close. The Layer Village Store was reopened by new owners in 2015.
Despite concerns over vandalism and anti-social behaviour, the village is generally regarded as a safe and happy place to be. Societies and clubs provide entertainment for the whole village community.
House Prices
Layer-De-La-Haye, with an overall average price of £444,714 was more expensive than nearby Lexden (£371,319), Stanway (£309,215) and Colchester (£273,543).[https://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detail.html?country=england&locationIdentifier=REGION%5E14747&searchLocation=Layer-De-La-Haye&referrer=landingPage]
See also
Village Website
References
External links
{{authority control
Villages in Essex
Borough of Colchester