Stanley is a parish of two sections, with Stanley Village and Stanley Common separated by a mile of farmland.

Recorded in the Domesday Book as Stanlei, the settlement probably originated in Anglo Saxon times. Staen or stan means stone and lay or lah a meadow, field or clearing in the forest.

At the time of the Enclosure Act in 1792, Stanley Common was almost devoid of development, but is now much bigger than the village.

Stanley has several historic buildings preserved within a conservation area. These include St Andrew's Church, which has Norman buttresses at the west end and a round headed Norman doorway, now blocked, on the south side.

The church, which is thought to have been built on the site of a Saxon foundation, was rebuilt in 1200 and was enlarged and restored in 1875.

The oldest readable tombstone is of the Radford family dated 1733. Stanley Hall, a 19th century building, was later home to the Radfords.

Next to the church is a well preserved thatched cottage which is one of only two in the borough and has timbers dating back to the 15th century.

On the other side stands the village War Memorial with a concrete base donated by the Mapperley Colliery Company, the owners of Stanley Colliery which was open from 1895-1959.

St Andrew's Church of England School is close by. This was the first purpose built school in the village and was opened in 1882 on land given by William Drury-Lowe of Locko Park.