Willy Lott's House
Willy Lott's Headstone.
Willy Lott was born in 1761 at Valley Farm where his parents (John and Sarah Lott) lived with Willy’s brothers and sisters. They moved to Gibeon’s Gate House Farm in about 1789. His father worked the 39 acres around Flatford as a tenant farmer.
Willy inherited the tenancy of Gibeon’s Gate house and farm on the death of his father in 1802.
He lived in the house attached to the farm. John Constable, whose family owned the adjacent Flatford Mill, called it Willy Lott’s house, as it is called today. In Edwardian times (long after Willy Lott’s death) and despite its large size, the house became known as Willy Lott’s Cottage and was depicted in many of John’s famous paintings, i.e. The Haywain.
Although he could not read or write, Willy made enough money to buy the house and farmland around Gibeon’s Gate in 1825. It is said that during his whole life he only spent one night away from Flatford. He never married, he lived with his sister Mary and died in the house at the age of 88 leaving the farm plus about £450 to his sisters, their children and his brother’s children.
Willy Lott’s House is a Grade 1, listed building Its Grade I status reflects the historic interest of the building and its extra significance as part of the Flatford Mill group and is owned by the National Trust.
His gravestone in St Mary’s Church cemetery, East Bergholt reads “Sacred to the memory of William Lott, who departed this life July 12th 1849, aged 88 years.” Underneath and in a very different style and font it says “He resided at Gibeon’s Farm, near Flatford Mill in this parish, for all his life”
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Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.