The Oak Beerhouse Blunham

The Oak Beerhouse: 91 High Street, Blunham.

Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service has very little information on the Oak Beerhouse because it was owned by Baldock [Hertfordshire] brewers Simpsons.

The beerhouse was valued in 1927 under the 1925 Rating and Valuation Act which stated that every piece of land and building in the country had to be valued to determine the rateable value. The valuer found a brick and slate premises consisting of a tap room ("small"), cellar ("on ground level"), kitchen and private sitting room downstairs and four bedrooms above; outside were a barn, stable and washhouse - as for trade "Rawlings says 1 barrel" i.e. one barrel of beer per week sold, but the valuer allowed for 1½  as well as six dozen bottles of beer. Water came from a tap outside.

The Oak closed in 1958 and is now a private house.

References:

• CRT110/102: 20 deeds held at Hertfordshire Record Office as part of Simpson of Baldock collection including probate of Isaac Read, 1830: 1792-1830;
• HF143/1: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1872-1873;
• HF143/2: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1874-1877;
• HF143/3: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1878-1881;
• HF143/4: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1882-1890;
• HF143/5: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1891-1900;
• HF143/6: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1900-1914;
• PSBW8/1: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1903-1915;
• DV1/C179: rating valuation: 1927 

List of Licensees: note that this is not a complete list. Italics indicate licensees whose beginning and/or end dates are not known:

1872-1884: George Thomas;
1884-1899: Thomas Winters;
1899-1901: Arthur James Nears;
1901: Charles Garner;
1901-1907: George Battle;
1907-1910: George Henry Davey;
1910-1914: Thomas Stevens;
1927: Hector Rawlings;
1957-1958: Annie Lovell

Beerhouse closed 15th September 1958