In the early 11th century the area where the present village lies was part of five or more hides that were under Levenot, a thane of King Edward the Confessor, who owned much land.

The lands owned by Levenot, along with the title of baron, were passed to a Walter Flandrensis, the Count of Flanders, who is thought to have fought alongside William.

His arrival marked the start of a period of centuries during which a family bearing an Odell-type name continued to hold most of these lands.

In 1613 Richard made efforts to be recognised as Baron of Odell (a claim his 18th-century great-great-grandson and 19th-century descendant also later pursued) but without success.

In 1633, Richard sold the estate to William Alston and, after five hundred years, Odell village was no longer under the influence of a descendant of the family bearing the same name.

There is evidence that there was a church building in Odell village from as early as 1220, when Robert of Dunton is recorded as minister.

Between 1975 and 1981, All Saints' Church and Odell Castle played host to the Greenbelt Festival, attended by up to 15,000 people.

Notable events include: Over recent years All Saints has become a place visited by those people round the world who seek to trace their ancestry to Odell, and to spend some time in the church or churchyard.

In the early 1980s, the area was subsequently turned into Harrold-Odell Country Park, popular with runners, dog-walkers and bird spotters.

A wide variety of native waterfowl and other birds are seen on or near the lakes, including great crested grebes, moorhens, Canada geese, herons, swans, cormorants and a wide variety of ducks, as well as aquatic insects such as damselflies and dragonflies.