45 to 49 Village Road Bromham

45 to 49 Village Road in 1962 [Z53/21/11]

45 to 49 Village Road were listed by English Heritage in August 1987 as Grade II, of special interest. Numbers 45 and 47 may date either from the 16th or the 17th century, though a 19th century extension is attached to the west end with a barn at right angles to it. The cottages are constructed partly of coursed limestone rubble and partly of colourwashed plaster over a timber frame; the roof is thatched. The cottages comprise one storey and attics. The 19th century extension has one storey and the barn attached to the west end is thatched and weather-boarded. Number 49 is built of similar materials to Numbers 45 and 47 and has panel pargetting on the gable end.

The cottages belonged to the Bromham Hall Estate. When a large slice of the estate was put up for sale at auction in 1924 these cottages were included. The sale particulars [AD1147/4] describe them as below. At this date the block was divided differently to the way it was divided later. Lot 38 comprised all of Number 45 and part of Number 47. The three small cottages comprised the other part of 47 and all of today’s Number 49.

LOT 38

A VALUABLE SMALL HOLDING
Situate in the Parish of Bromham and on the outskirts of the Village, with Long Frontages to the Village Street and Grange Lane.

The House faces South, and contains Two Bedrooms up, and Bedroom, Sitting Room, Living Room, Kitchen-Scullery combined down, E. C. Good Vegetable and Fruit Garden, Well Water.

Near to are Barn, Cow house for Three, Pigsty, Store and Wood Sheds etc.

There are about 4 Acres of Capital Pasture Land sloping gently to the South, the whole covering an area of

4.174 Acres

Let to Mr. George Morris, on a Yearly (29th September) Tenancy, at a rental of

£19 per annum

45 Village Road March 2012

LOT 39

THREE CAPITAL COTTAGES

Situate in the Parish of Bromham, and opposite one of the entrances to Bromham Park. Good Gardens.

Area .126 of an Acre

The one nearest the road contains One Room up and One down, with Shed and E. C. outside, and is let on a Quarterly Tenancy to Mr. F. Lord, at a Rental of £2 per annum.

The Middle Cottage contains Two Rooms up and One down, with Shed and E. C. outside, and is let to Mrs. Robinson on a Quarterly Tenancy, at a rental of £3 per annum.

The remaining Cottage contains Two Rooms up and One Down, with Shed and E. C. outside, and is let on a Quarterly Tenancy to Mrs. S. Millard, at a Rental of £2 8s. 0d.

The Water for these Cottages is obtained from a Well in Enclosure No. Pt. 80 of Lot 38 and this Lot is sold with the right to draw water from the well as at present.

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. The valuer visiting the cottages [DV1/C3/33-36] found Morris’ smallholding owned and occupied by C. Croxton and the other three cottages owned by Miss M. Summerlin.

Croxton’s accommodation comprised a living room, a small room at the front measuring 5 feet 10 inches high and used as a cloak room, a sitting room, a scullery and two bedrooms with a wood and thatched trap house, an earth closet, a wood barn, a nag stable, an open cart shed, a hen house and a pigsty all outside. The valuer commented: “Have done up the place well. Nice”.

Mrs. Millard now paid rent of 1/6 per week for her accommodation which the valuer considered: “very bad up, poor old place. Mrs. Robinson now paid 2/- per week and her accommodation, too, was described as: “very bad up”. Lord had been replaced by A. Johnson in 1925 who paid 6/6 per month. The valuer considered: “rent out of all reason, very poor old place with slope”. Certainly Johnson was paying £4 per annum where Lord had only paid half that, similarly, since the new private landlord took the cottages over Mrs. Millard was having to find an extra £1/10/- and Mrs. Robinson an extra £2/4/- per annum.