The Old Farmhouse Thorncote Green
The Bedfordshire Historic Environment Record [HER] contains information on the county’s historic buildings and landscapes and summaries of each entry can now be found online as part of the
Heritage Gateway website. The entry for The Old Farmhouse [HER 5808] reads: “
Small red brick range with 18th century features but probably 17th century in origin, 2 storeys, central chimney stack, 2 and 3 light leaded casements in segmental heads, some leaded, roof tiled”.
The Rating and Valuation Act 1925 specified that every building and piece of land in the country was to be assessed to determine its rateable value. Northill was assessed in 1927 and the valuer visiting the farm, then called Thorncote Green Farm [DV1/H40/18] found it owned and occupied by John Randall.
The farm was small with just 39 acres, 35 poles of land. The farmhouse comprised two reception rooms, two kitchens, a scullery and dairy with four bedrooms and two boxrooms above. The valuer noted that Eric Vivian Randall and John Randall both occupied it. Mains water was laid on to the house and outside stood an earth closet, a coal house and a store shed.
The farm buildings were arranged as follows:
- North: a wood and tiled granary; a wood and tiled nag stable; a wood and tiled three bay open hovel and a wood and tiled cowshed for two beasts;
- East: a wood and tiled calf shed and a wood and tiled barn;
- South: three wood and tiled pigsties; a wood and tiled mixing house and chaff house; a wood and tiled stable for three horses; a four horse stable used as a place to store straw; a wood and thatched tool shed, cart shed, old harness room and old stable with a loft over used as a store;
- East of the yard: a four bay wood and tiled cart shed.
The valuer commented: “These buildings were formerly for a 150 acre farm”.