The Ramblers - Derbyshire Dales Group

Alison Uttley - From Farm to Fame

Derbyshire author of Little Grey Rabbit

Alison Uttley was born as Alice Jane Taylor on 17th December 1884 at Castle Top Farm, near Cromford, Derbyshire, the daughter of Henry and Hannah Taylor. The birth took place during a severe snowstorm, Alison often thought of herself later as a snow baby. The Taylor family had lived on and worked the farm for generations, being tenant farmers to the Arkwrights of Willersley Castle, Cromford. These were the descendants of Sir Richard Arkwright of cotton manufacturing fame.

The farm consisted of approximately 35 acres, with other fields being rented as & when available. Little would they have known at this stage that baby Alice was to become a famous author, and her books about Little Grey Rabbit would become a companion to many children around the world. I know of visitors from Australia, Japan, Canada and many other countries that have made their pilgrimage to Castle Top. Unfortunately there appears to be little local interest in this amazing Derbyshire Dales lady. I think this may be because she found fame and fortune in the mid to late stages of her life and was not living in Derbyshire.

Alison received an excellent elementary education at home by her mother until seven years old. She could read and write and do arithmetic prior to attending Lea school, which was a considerable distance from the isolated farm. She had to walk through Bow Wood and often tells of being frightened in the dark on this journey. In her books she called it the ”Dark Wood”€�. In winter she used to hide a small lantern, candle and matches under a stone wall at Lea Bridge, to illuminate her way home. She studied music and was an excellent pianist, reading music well as a child.

She progressed well at Lea School and sat for a scholarship for Lady Manners Grammar School at Bath Street, Bakewell (now moved to new location). She initially did not gain a place, but a boy who was successful rejected his place and Alison was next on the list and happy to oblige. She travelled by train to Bakewell and often recalls her rail journey to school in her books. She gained a place at Manchester University (1903) reading physics and then on graduation (1906) progressed to teacher training at Cambridge. She took a science teaching position at a school in Fulham, until she married James Uttley in 1911 at the Ethical Church, Fulham. They set up home in Knutsford and a son John was born in 1914. They moved briefly to Clitheroe, finally settling in Altrincham. Her husband was an engineer by profession and also saw service in the Great War. He suffered periods of depression and unfortunately committed suicide by drowning in 1930; Alison never remarried.

It was after this that she began to write in earnest. She had written previously, but not with great success. ”A Country Child”€� was an early book of note and sold well. In this book she wrote about family life at Castle Top, but the family was renamed Garlands and the farm name was also changed. Alison moved to Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire in 1938 and eventually became world-famous for her children’s books, but the books I have used are her essays, which give an excellent insight into Victorian farm life & a fine source of local social history. Many of Alison’s books were excellently illustrated by C.F. Tunnicliffe, who in his own right has become very famous, particularly as a wildlife illustrator. Alison died 7th May 1976 in a nursing home in Berkshire and was buried in Penn churchyard near Beaconsfield on 21st May 1976.

I have intentionally not gone into detail regarding Alison’s children’s books, as I am sure most people are familiar with them. The books I have studied are the essays and biography, from which I have tried to give a brief insight into her life.

Mick Mackfall

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