(Part of the continuity of my UK Cathedral map)


One of the most remote places of Derwickshire county are the Ottingley Moors. On the surface, it is perhaps some of the most unremarkable moorland in the UK, but those who would come to such a conclusion would be great mistaken...


The Barghest
Going back centuries, a legend lurks of a great and terrible spectre of a black dog that roams the heaths at night and in heavy fog, commonly referred to as the "Ottingley Barghest".

In 1978, there were plans to film a horror movie "The curse of the Barghest" on the moors of Ottingley, but the production had to be abandoned as the film crew started reporting strange howls and barkings during late hours - and refused to continue filming.

Many drivers choose to avoid the B roads that go through the moors. But superstition or not, perhaps there is some wisdom in this: Statistically, the roads have some of the highest traffic accident statistics for such a quiet location.



MOD Ottingley
However, the Ministry of Defence has not been avoiding Ottingley Moors. In 1937, an airfield was built on the moors, RAF Ottingley, which the MOD claimed would be used as a test ground for the new Spitfire, and future prototypes.
However, these plans were not realised and the site would instead be used to intercept German bombers crossing the North Sea to attack Derwickshire settlements like Ashingham, Ottingley and Derwick.

With the war over, the purpose of the airfield seemed obsolete, but in an unexpected turn of events, the site was renamed MOD Ottingley. Though still an active military instillation - with an RAF presence, the Ministry of Defence has not been clear of the purpose of this new "MOD Ottingley".


The Ottingley Meteors
On February 17th, 1936, many residence in nearby towns and villages woke up to loud flashes and bangs, seemingly coming from the moor. In the morning, a large group of townsfolk found craters on the moor, but with little trace as to what had caused the craters.

Since then, Ottingley has become a site of many supposed "UFO sightings" and conspiracy theories, though most believe this is nonsense. But what is confirmed is that, due to the influx of UFO enthusiasts visiting the area, pubs such as The Black Dog Inn have become very profitable establishments...




Regrettably, I have not had the time to finish MOD Ottingley and the Black Dog Inn in time for Halloween, but I hope you enjoyed (and slightly spooked) by the rest of this post.