[1] The name means 'Aelfwald's wood/clearing', derived from an Old English personal name and the word lēah (a forest, wood, glade or clearing).

Local government reorganisation on 1 April 1974 transferred the civil parish into the Borough of Vale Royal, which was superseded by the unitary authority of Cheshire West & Chester on 1 April 2009.

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.

[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.