Laundry Farm Old Warden

Laundry Farm about 1900 [Z50/129/113]

Laundry Farm was listed by the former Department of Environment as Grade II, of special interest. The building was originally 18th century, and therefore built by the Ongley estate, but substantially reworked by the Shuttleworth Estate in 1879. It is of colour-washed rough-cast render over a timber frame with applied timber framing at the gable ends. It has a clay tile roof with bands of fish scale tiles, decorative clay ridge cresting and finials. It is an L-plan of one storey and attics with a single storey block to the north.

 
Laundry and farm shown on valuation map

In 1927 the dwellings of Old Warden were valued under the Rating Valuation Act 1925; every piece of land and building in the country was assessed to determine the rates to be paid on it. The valuer visiting Laundry Farm [DV1/C34/45-46] found it was in two occupancies, part as a farm and part as a laundry; divided as shown in the plan above. 45 is the farm building, tenanted by F.Harding, standing in 0.144 of an acre and leased at £5 per annum. It comprised a store shed and two bay open shed, coach-house, hovel, two loose boxes, a store house and henhouse all, in the valuer's opinion "useful Buildings".

 
Plan of the laundry [SL5/133]

The greater part of the building complex, numbered 46 on the map above, was The Laundry (to Old Warden Park, that is), occupying 0.709 of an acre and tenanted by Miss E.M.Jones. It comprised a parlour, kitchen, scullery, larder and three bedrooms (all "good") as living accommodation with the laundry itself comprising a small mangle room, wash house, ironing room and drying ground. the valuer commented: "Quite good, not very big".

Laundry Farm March 2008