Village History

Little Stretton (Stretton Parva)

The township of Little Stretton, 704 acres in area, lies immediately to the west of King's Norton, of which it has always been a dependent chapelry. Little Stretton lies on both sides of the River Sence, which flows south-westward through the township, and the ground rises from about 350 ft near the river to about 450 ft on the eastern side of the valley. The soil is clayey over a clay and gravel sub-soil. For the greater part of its length the township boundary follows field boundaries; for short distances it is formed by the Sence and by roads.

Two roughly parallel roads cross the township from north-west to south-east: the Gartree road, and, further north, the Stoughton to Illston on the Hill road. A minor road links these two on the east side of the Sence and forms the village street. The Gartree road crosses the Sence by a bridge on the township boundary, the bridge itself lying in Great Stretton. A road runs southwards from near the bridge towards Great Glen on the road from Leicester to Market Harborough. The village is a small cluster of houses and farms on and near the village street; there is one isolated farm, Dob Hall, in the north of the township. A small disused gravel pit is situated immediately to the south-east of the village.

The Site of the Village Pump

The Old Village Pump was situated against this wall along the main road. Note the different bricks in the wall which were replaced when the pump was taken away. The well, serving the pump, was also filled in at that time.

Schools

In 1818 there were 2 dames' schools and a Sunday school in Stretton, all un-endowed, the latter supported by the dowager Countess of Rosse. An infants' school was started in 1824 and in 1833 6 children were instructed there at their parents' expense. Described as an 'adventure' school, it had an average attendance of 18 in 1871.
Nothing else is known of it.

Stretton Parva Workhouse

By the inclosure award of 1771 18 a. were allotted to the overseers of the poor at Little Stretton in lieu of ? yardland which they had held in the open fields. In 1786 the Poor's Land was let for £18 and a workhouse was built on part of it.

The workhouse was used as a dwelling house by 1862 and the rent of land and house was then £42; in 1881 the rent was £35. In 1837 it was arranged that part of the income should be used for educational purposes and part for poor relief and apprenticing. This was apparently never carried out and the income was added to the poor rates. In 1932 the rent was said to have been paid to the Billesdon Rural District Council for the relief of rates for many years. In 1939 the rent was £30.