Manor Farm January 2009

Manor Farmhouse, standing at the southern foot of Billington Hill is a notable building - red brick and three storey. Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service has two sets of sale particulars for the farm: 1910 when it was sold at auction by E. H. Everitt and 1938 when sold at auction by John Scott. The 1938 particulars are more interesting. At that date the farm comprised nearly 109 acres of pasture land.

The particulars [BML10/7/19] describe the farmhouse as follows: "old fashioned, detached and roomy, is substantially built of brick with a tiled roof, and is situate in a sheltered position on the South Side of Billington Hill, near to the main road from Leighton Buzzard to Hemel Hempstead, and has the following accommodation: -

• IN THE BASEMENT: Good Cellar.
  ON THE GROUND FLOOR: Entrance Hall, Two Reception Rooms, Large Kitchen fitted with Range, Copper and Sink and Hard Water Pump over Sink, and excellent Dairy with Store Room over.
• ON THE FIRST FLOOR: Three Large Bedrooms, two with Grates and Wardrobe Fixtures.
• ON THE SECOND FLOOR: Three Good Bedrooms.
• AT THE REAR of the Farm House is a Fuel Barn and Closet, and at the side Small Lawn with Flower Garden and Borders, and Kitchen Garden planted with Apple Trees of Good Varieties".

The farm buildings are described thus: "convenient and well arranged, they are mainly timber built on dwarf brick walls, with galvanised and tiled roofs and comprise: Cart Horse Stable for Six Horses, Chaff Store and Corn Barn, with lean to shed and loft over, Open Shed fitted with manger and Loose Box in enclosed yard, Large Barn, Two Loose Boxes, Stable, Corn Store and a Four-bay Barn in the second enclosed yard, Meal House, Cow House for Twelve Cows, Granary fitted with Five Bins, a Four-bay open Cart Shed, a Four-bay and Six-bay Implement Sheds, Nag Stable, with rack and manger; Coach House or Garage and Two Poultry Houses. There is an excellent Well of Water fitted with Pump and Drinking Trough between the two enclosed yards".