Ashley is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Afcele. It probably dates to much earlier than that. The name means 'ash-tree wood or clearing'. 
The population in 1841 was about 340, acreage was 1,200. 
By 1871 the population had risen to 378 but then fell by 1881 to 296 and by 1906 had fallen further to 192. 

The independent chapel was built in 1673 and closed in the 1950s. It was situated at the west end of Westhorpe but is now a private dwelling.

The original village was laid out in a figure of 8 shape, typical of many Northamptonshire villages.