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Offley Place has been of historic significance since the Eighth Century AD. Tradition has it that the Saxon King Offa of Mercia 757-796 built his palace here.
We cannot be sure if Offa's Palace existed on the site of the present Offley Place before 1600, but the doomsday survey shows that there were no less than four manors in Offley at the time of the Norman Conquest.
Offley Place a 17th Century Mansion with an old Walled Garden, set on the edge of a small deer park that has remained virtually unchanged for the last 250 years. Soon after the Doomsday Survey it passed to the St. Ledger family. The Manor was renamed Offley St. Ledger. In 1553 Henry VII held courts at Offley, and after a brief ownership by John Farmer it was sold in 1554 to Sir John Spencer of Althorpe. His descendants owned the estate for several centuries.
350 years ownership of Offley Manor – albeit different names was broken in 1928 when Guy Hughes moved out into the Lawns House and the Estate was sold to Colonel Acland, who immediately set about making alterations to the house. The battlemented tower, the most outstanding feature of Offley Place was demolished. The single story bay windows were replaced by others set flush with the walls.
The Acland family resided at Offley Place for 10 years in which time they became very involved in village affairs both spiritual and secular.
In 1939 the Frobel Institute rented the house and the estate, eventually buying it in 1943. running residential courses on gardening and natural history.
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