The place-name 'Grimley' is first attested in a Saxon charter of 851, where it appears as
Grimanlea. In the
Domesday Book of 1086 it appears as
Grimanleh. The name means 'wood haunted by a ghost or spectre' (
Old English grima). It once housed a monastery which was reputedly linked to
Holt Castle via tunnels, and has been a site of refuge for thousands of years. Following the
Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, Grimley Parish ceased to be responsible for maintaining the poor in its parish. This responsibility was transferred to
Martley Poor Law Union. ==References==