The name for Lindley comes from the
Saxon for "
flax meadow" or possibly from the Germanic word 'lind' denoting an area of
linden (or lime) trees. Probably established by the
Angles in the 7th century as a
farming community, it is mentioned in the
Domesday Book of 1086 under the names "Lilleia". In the reign of
Edward the Confessor it was owned by Godwin, and in the reign of
William the Conqueror it was being cultivated by Ulchel for
Ilbert de Lacy, the
Sheriff of
Hertfordshire and descendant of the
French noble family from
Lassy. At that time, Lindley consisted of two farmsteads totalling "5 quarantens by 2 quarantens". The Lindley Clock Tower is the most prominent landmark in Lindley, standing at the junction between Lidget Street and Daisy Lea Lane. This
Art Nouveau clock tower was designed by the
Manchester architect
Edgar Wood in 1900 and erected by James Nield Sykes
JP, in 1902. The tower also features four
buttress figures, four
gargoyles and four
friezes. The top of the tower is accessible via the doorway at its foot. Another key building in Lindley is Lindley Liberal Club, situated adjacent to Lindley Clock Tower. The club has been in existence since its foundation stone was laid on 9 August 1887. The club came into use when building was completed the following year. Lindley appeared top in a survey carried out in 2006 by the
Royal Bank of Scotland. By creating an algorithm factoring aspects such as desirability, return on investment and affordability, the survey results listed the top 10 locations throughout the UK for first time buyers to get on the property ladder. ==Climate==