The Cottage - 11 Higher Rads End Eversholt

 
The Cottage, Higher Rads End February 2016

The Cottage at Higher Rads End was listed by English Heritage in March 1987 as Grade II, of special interest. The listing notes: “thought to have belonged to the Parochial Charity” - it certainly was in the 1920s, see below. A number of cottages are described in a deed setting out the terms of the parochial Charity in 1695 [P42/2/1/1] and a number of these are not assigned to any particular end, so this cottage might be one of them.

It is probably 17th century in date and has a timber-framed construction with colour-washed plaster infill and a clay tiled roof. It comprises two storeys and stands gable end-on to the road; there is a single storey lean-to at this road gable end.

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 property [DV1/C131/54-55] found that it was divided into two separate cottages, both owned by Charity Homes Trustees, and both occupied by Charles Brown, whose rent was £1/19/- per annum for the two – “Brown occupies this and the next one but cottages are not inter-communicating”. Both cottages had one living room downstairs and two bedrooms above and an adjoining barn.