The parish of Sloley is situated in the northwest of the county of Norfolk. The parish is bounded on the south east with the parish of Tunstead, whilst to the west lies the parish of Scottow. The northern boundary is with the parishes of Westwick and Worstead. The north east corner is crossed north to south by the Bittern railway line which runs between Cromer and Norwich. Dissecting the parish east to west is New Barn lane which follows the route of an old Roman road which was an extension to the Fen Causeway and was thought to be a major East-West route which ran on to Smallburgh and possibly continued to Caister or an important port since eroded by the sea. The name Sloley comes from the 7th-century Old English for "sla" meaning "sloe", plus "leah", a wood or clearing; hence, "leah where sloes grew".
Sloley has an entry in the Domesday Book of 1085 where it, its population, land ownership and productive resources were extensively detailed In the survey Sloley is recorded by the name of Slaleia. The abbot of Holme, Ralph de Beaufour and Reynald Fitzlvo are recorded as the main tenants. The survey also lists that there is a church.
The parish church of Saint Bartholomew is located to the south-east of the village. The church tower is offset to the north of the main body of the church, the result of rebuilding and extensions built on to this church in the 14th and 15th centuries. The north aisle has been constructed on what was the site of the original Norman church in the 15th century. The arcades and clerestory were built in the 15th century, along with a south aisle and new south porch and the top of the tower added. Also during this time the chancel arch was moved south and it to is now off-centre. The south aisle is larger than the north in order to accommodate an altar tomb to Oliver le Gros who was Lord of the Manor who lived at Sloley Old Hall, and who died in 1448. Other internal features are some 15th-century carved bench ends, 17th- and 18th-century floor tombs, 19th-century box pews and a two-decker pulpit and 18th- and 19th-century monuments, some in Gothic Revival style. The font is a fine example and is octagonal carved stone showing the seven sacraments and the Baptism of Christ with four small lions on the corners of the foot.
Sloley Old Hall
Sloley Old Hall belonged to the Le Gros family, who were at one time Lords of the manor of Sloley with family records which run back to the reign of King Steven. At one time the Le Gros family were major holders of land within the county of Norfolk and Sloley Old Hall was numbered among their manorial establishments. The existing house, which was known as Frankfort Manor, was built by Oliver Le Gros in the 16th century. Harman, who married the last of the Le Gros family, sold to Robert Walpole. The house then passed into the ownership of the Neville family, whose descendants still own the surrounding estate. The house as part of the Sloley Estate. The hall was once lived in by Sylvia Townsend Warner, a well-known author, who lived there with her lover Valentine Ackland also a poet. Alarmed by the growing threat of fascism, both women were active in the Communist Party of Great Britain, and visited Spain during the Civil War. They lived together from 1930 until Ackland's death in 1969.
