Ubley History

Ubley History

In a charter of King Edgar, between 959 and 975 the name of the village was recorded as Hubbanlege.

Ubley was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Tumbeli, meaning ‘The rolling meadow’ from the Old English tumb and leah. An alternative explanation is that it comes from Ubba’s leah or clearing in the woodland. A further explanation of the name is that in Roman times when Charterhouse Roman Town was producing lead and silver it was known as Veb, and as V and U are interchangeable in Latin, Ubley derives from Veb-ley, and was originally a settlement where Romano-British lead miners lived.

Mining for ochre and manganese took place during the 19th century.