2 New Road in 1918 [X65/102]

2 New Road is a picturesque building and was listed by the former Department of Environment in July 1964 as Grade II, of special interest. The department dated the property to the 18th century. Like many older properties in Great Barford it is constructed of colour washed roughcast over a timber frame. It has an old clay tile roof, one storey and attics.

In 1918 the cottage was Lot 14 in a sale of property and land in Great Barford and Roxton which also included Green End Farm. The sale particulars [X65/102] read as follows:

BRIDGE COTTAGE
GREAT BARFORD BRIDGE
Numbered Part 334 on Plan, and extending to
0 acres, 0 rood, 14 perches 

Including a Rough-cast and Tiled COTTAGE, close to the River, containing Two Bedrooms, Sitting Room and Kitchen. Well water. Brick and slated Barn (other Buildings belong to the Tenant).

Held by Mr George Goodman and Mrs. Georgina Sabey, with other lands, on a Yearly Michaelmas Tenancy 

The Navigation Company have a right of cartway through this Lot.

2 New Road from the side March 2010

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 2 New Road found it owned by Daniel Francis and occupied by his motor engineer son Cyril who paid £5 per annum in rent for this and his adjoining work premises.

The house comprised a dining room, drawing room, wood and corrugated iron scullery with a primus stove and two bedrooms upstairs. The valuer commented: “Lovely” and “Faces river and bridge”. He also observed: “Week end type, very nice” and “Good little place”.

Francis’s work premises were a brick and slate garage with double doors and a wood and corrugated iron extension. Its full length was 30 feet by 13 feet 6 inches with a 5 foot extension.

In 2009 the house was put up for sale. The particulars [Z449/4/7] stated that the house had been stripped back to an empty shell and then completely restored. The cottage then comprised: an entrance hall; a sitting room (12 feet 8 inches by 12 feet 3 inches); a dining room (12 feet 7 inches by 11 feet 10 inches); a utility area (4 feet 10 inches by 4 feet 2 inches); a kitchen (11 feet 10 inches by 9 feet 4 inches); a study/annexe (11 feet 6 inches by 8 feet 4 inches and an en-suite bedroom (9 feet 6 inches by 9 feet 3 inches). Two bedrooms lay upstairs and a mooring for a boat on the River Great Ouse lay outside.

2 New Road March 2010