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Butley
Introduction
Butley is a small village at the head of the Butley river, surrounded by woodland. It was recorded in Domesday as "Butelai" or "Butelea". Nearby Barrow Hill was the site of a middle Saxon settlement and cemetery. The priory was once very important but little now survives except for a 14th century gateway.
Before the silting up of the estuary, Butley was a major port. There have been oyster beds in Butley Creek for over 1000 years, though they petered out a few centuries ago, but were re-established in the middle of the 20th century.
A variety of finds near the Orford Road indicate the existence of a Mediaeval settlement, thought to date from about 1300.
Acknowledgements
Some historical information from English Heritage's National Monuments Record.