FUN!
 
 

A Little Local Knowledge makes Little Ottle Seem Not So Little At All "(Ott-le)"!
 
 
 
 

Little Ottle Museum has a fascinating history. It was built in 1680 and originally served as stables attached to Ottle Manor. The manor house was sadly demolished in 1984 to make way for office buildings. The original owner of Ottle Manor was Richard Rigby, a landowner and farmer. Not much is known about him apart from his love of horses and wildlife.

  
 

Little Ottle has strong associations with Dick Turpin and we are proud to own two Rochester Winterman pistols made in 1740 which are said to have belonged to Dick Turpin himself.
  
   
 
Local history annals record the gruesome tale of a murder in 1705. Elizabeth Glock was singled out by local people as an "Old Nag" and tragically burned at the stake in the town square. This was not unusual at that point in history - many women who didn't conform to accepted social standards were victimised and accused of being witches. Common mythology is that these women were often thrown into water as a test to find out if they were witches. The reality is that most didn't go through this process, they were simply picked out and subjected to a terrifying death, normally being burned. In modern times, we can only look back with puzzlement and sympathy for Elizabeth Glock and all other women who were victimised in such a barbaric fashion.

this is how Elizabeth may have looked.
  
 

Back to Little Ottle - In 1805 Ottle Manor was bought by John Fairgreen, a local councillor. John did not share Richard Rigby's love of horses, and the stables became a store house for all manner of machinery and bric-a-brac.

After years of neglect the building was bought by Harold Fleck and converted into a tea shop. Being off the 'beaten track' it failed to attract enough custom and was closed six months later.

  
 

But that's not the end of the story! Harold Fleck, a wealthy business man, had a keen interest in local history and a love for the local community. It was he that opened Little Ottle Museum in 1947, collecting many original items of local interest which are still here today. Over the years we have accumilated a rare and fascinating collection of exhibits documenting all aspects of the history of Little Ottle, including farming and linen manufacture. We even have a unique collection of fossils!
  
 

The museum has been run by the Fleck family ever since, welcoming visitors from all around the world. The current Curator, Tim Fleck is the great grandson of Harold Fleck. Tim and Museum caretaker Alf have looked after the museum for the past forty years and always offer a warm welcome to all our visitors - we look forward to welcoming you!