The name means 'Aelfwald's wood/clearing', derived from an Old English personal name and the word lēah (a forest, wood, glade or clearing).[2]
The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Elvedelie,[3] under the ownership of Earl Hugh of Chester and consisting of only three households (one villager and two smallholders).[4]
The population was recorded over time as 314 in 1801, 312 in 1851, 319 in 1901, 287 in 1951 and had reached 485 by the 2001 census.[5][6]
The village has a primary school,[7] a public house (the White Lion)[8] and a Grade II listed parish church dedicated to St John.[9]Alvanley Hall is a Grade II* listed farmhouse to the south-east of the main village, dating mainly from the 17th century.[10]
Sport
Alvanley Cricket Club, established in 1884, runs five senior teams and four junior teams ranging from under-9s to under-18s. The club came fifth in Division One of the Cheshire County League in 2000, but a fallow period saw them fall back down to the Meller Braggins League. In 2011 the club won the League unbeaten with a record 461 points and in doing so found their way back into the County League for 2012.[11] The Junior Section has in recent years begun to challenge for County Cups, without yet actually lifting one. 2008 to 2011 saw a period of investment in the club's infrastructure, rewarded by the award of prestigious games such as the Bunbury Festival and Cheshire County fixtures.
