The Gardens - 13 Silver Street March 2010

13 Silver Street was listed by the former Department of Environment in August 1983 as Grade II, of special interest. The department dated the property to the 17th century. Like most of the older properties in Great Barford it is built of colour washed roughcast over a timber frame. It has a thatched roof and two storeys.

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. Most of Bedfordshire was valued in 1927 and the valuer visiting the property [Dv1/C156/89-90] found it was then two cottages under one roof. The building was owned by Syrus Tatman and one half was occupied by James Giggles, who paid rent of four shillings per week whilst he other half was vacant.

Giggles occupied a living room with a range, a pantry and passage with one bedroom above. The vacant cottage was the same except that it had no pantry. The valuer commented: “Bedfordshire type”.