Vine Cottage, 34 High Street

This page was contributed by Pamela Hider

34 & 36 High St c.1930 [Z1306/25/3/1] (click to expand)

The development of the village of Carlton began principally in the High Street which was nearest to both church and manor house and where most of the oldest houses are to be found today.

One such house, known today as Vine Cottage, is described by the Historic Environment Record for Bedfordshire as follows:

Former stables to adjoining Vine cottage, aka Vine House, (today's Rowan Cottage 38, High St). Probably C19, extensively altered to form living accommodation. Pebbledash. 2 storey, concrete tile roof. Modern casement windows with glazing bars.

Rating and Valuation Act 1925

This  Act specified that every building and piece of land in the country was to be assessed to determine  its rateable value. This was done in Carlton in 1927 (DV1/C218). At that time, the structure consisted of two  cottages, both owned by Mrs.D Howe & Miss Wells (sisters, who also owned and lived at 38 High St.). The cottages were described as being semi detached  and of being rough cast and slate.

• No.36 (which was also attached to no.38 in an L-shape) was the smallest cottage & was occupied by Mrs.M.P.Stuart(sic).  It  consisted of just a living room & kitchen downstairs and one bedroom upstairs. Outside were an earth closet and a barn.  Mrs. Stewart's son, Charles, rode a horse which he kept in a field nearby. In his Will, he bequeathed this field to the Parish Council to be used as a children's playing field . It was officially opened in 1955 and remains as such to this day. An adjacent barn bears a tablet commemorating Carlton's benefactor.

• No.34 was the bigger cottage and was occupied by H. Childs and his family. It consisted of a living room, st (?), kitchen & scullery. Upstairs were two bedrooms and outside was a barn.  A later hand had written that both cottages were 'Right on Road' and had 'Been done up'.

After 1950

The two sisters who owned nos.34, 36 (and 38) died in 1950. Number 38 was put up for auction and a new buyer marked the end of the line of descendants of Pastor Charles Vorley who had owned the propertry since 1796.

Mrs Stewart, who lived at no. 36, had died in 1941. The Childs family (who were related to the Wells) went on to have ownership of no. 34  until 1972. No.36 must have  become incorporated into no.34  between 1941 - 1950.  Certainly the number 36 never appears in the electoral registers after 1950. The two cottages had become one and had taken the name 'Vine Cottage' thus maintaining the tradition of no.38. Electoral Registers show the Childs family to be living in the property from 1950 until 1972. It is registered as either 'Vine Cottage'  or as no. 34.

Vine Cottage February 2022