Brook Cottage about 1909 with Mrs. A. Tatman and her sons [X535/5]

Brook Cottage lies in Addington Road, opposite Brook House. The Bedfordshire Historic Environment Record [HER] has entries for each historic building and landscape feature in the county and summaries of each entry can now be found on-line was part of the Heritage Gateway website. The entry for Brook Cottage [HER 12328] reads: "Brook Cottage is a timber-framed cottage probably dating from the 18th century. A new roof was added in the 19th century and has been further altered since then". The property comprises a single storey with an attic over it.

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 assessed in 1927 and the valuer visiting Brook Cottage [DV1/C156/11] found it owned by a Mrs. Sabey and occupied by Alfred Tatman, who paid rent of £4/10/- per annum, having paid £4 before the Great War. His wife and children are pictured above, taken from the Great Barford Women's Institute scrapbook [X535/5]

The stud, brick and slate building comprised a living room with a range, a kitchen with a copper and two bedrooms in the attics. A coal barn and earth closet stood outside. Water came from a well and there was no drainage. The valuer commented: "Nice - low ceilings sufficiently lighted".

Brook Cottage March 2010