What were thought to be fragments of Roman pottery tiles were found in Hale Barns in the 1880s near the site of what is now St Ambrose College. The artefacts were lost before their antiquity could be confirmed, but led local historian W. Thompson Wakin to suggest there was probably a
Roman villa in the area. The first reference to Hale is contained within the
Domesday Book, at the time 'Hale Barns' was just an outlying
hamlet contained within the
manor of Hale. According to the Domesday Book, the
manor of Hale was owned by a Saxon
thegn Aelfward, who was replaced by the Norman,
Hamon de Massey who also gained possession of
Dunham and
Bowdon and would remain barons of the area until the 14th century. The manor was considered prosperous in comparison to other manors in the north west of England. The settlements of Hale and Hale Barns are closely linked; what would later become Hale Barns spent most of the medieval period as an extension of the more dominant Hale. During this era the land around Hale and Hale Barns was used agriculturally In the 17th century,
The Civil War affected all of England; many families were split over
Royalist or
Parliamentarian loyalties. Little is recorded, however, of the divisions within Hale Barns, and Hale and Hale Barns did emerge from the Civil War largely untouched by events – though there was a heavy tax to pay to support the Parliamentarian army they avoided much of the requisitioning of supplies and animals for passing armies. None of the Royalists in Hale and Hale Barns had their lands confiscated or was forced to pay fines. In 1740, a school was founded by the
Unitarian minister of Hale – a time when education was a rare commodity – and can be seen on a map of 1800 along with a tithe barn, two inns, five farms, four cottages, the school house and school rooms. During the 20th century, urbanisation affected Hale Barns, turning the place from an agricultural village into the commuter settlement it is today, focused around The Square – a shopping precinct. Its main A538 road – Hale Road – runs through the centre of Hale Barns and leads towards Manchester Airport and Wilmslow.
Toponymy The name Hale, which occurs throughout Britain, derives from the
Anglo-Saxon halh meaning a nook or shelter, as supported by the surrounding area which has natural features that would provide shelter. "Barns" comes from the Old Tithe Barn. == Governance ==