2 and 4 Southill Road March 2008

Today's Broom House was previously known simply as 2 and 4 Southill Road and was, as the name suggests, divided into two dwellings. English Heritage listed the building as Grade II, of special interest and considered it to be 16th century in origin with later parts dating to the 17th and 18th centuries. The house is of timber-framed construction with colour-washed plaster infilling and a clay tile roof. It is in an L-shape with a main block, the earliest part of the building save for the 18th century addition to the right hand end, of two storeys and a 17th century cross-wing to the left which is partly of two storeys and partly of one storey and attics.

In 1927 Broom was valued under the terms 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 this property [DV1/C212/26-27] noted that it was owned by the Shuttleworth Estate of Old Warden and tenanted by C.Brown and W.Wootton. The property stood in 0.315 of an acre and each tenant paid 3 shillings a week rent which was taken from their wages. The two halves were a little different internally - Number 2 had a living room, kitchen and three bedrooms above whilst next door had a living room, kitchen and scullery with three bedrooms above. Each had a wash-house outside. The valuer commented: "Taken as a farm cottage. Old but fair".