Skip Navigation
 
 

Welcome to Bedford Borough Council

Home > Community Histories > HeathandReach > Shops in Woburn Road Heath and Reach

Shops in Woburn Road Heath and Reach

Under the terms of the Rating and Valuation Act 1925 every piece of land and building in the country was assessed to determine the rates to be paid on them. Heath and Reach was assessed in 1927 and the valuer noted three retail outlets in Woburn Road.

 6-14 Woburn Road June 2008
6-14 Woburn Road June 2008, the orange building is Number 10

Number 10 Woburn Road [DV1/C233/132] was owned by Mrs. Janes, and occupied Misses Alice and Clara Croxford, who were drapers. They paid a rent of nineteen shillings every four weeks and used the property as a lock up shop. The shop itself measured 10 feet by 11 feet and the rest of the accommodation comprised a living room and scullery downstairs with three bedrooms "used as stores" above. Alice Croxford is noted as a draper in Kelly's Directory in 1914, 1920 and 1924. Alice and Clara together are recorded in the directories for 1928, 1931, 1936 and 1940.

 11 Woburn Road June 2008
11 Woburn Road June 2008

Number 11 Woburn Road [DV1/C205/142] was owned and occupied by John Frederick Stevens, who also owned 71-73 Woburn Road and 13-15 Leighton Road. He was first listed as a shopkeeper in Kelly's Directory for 1898 and was last listed in 1931. Frederick Stevens was listed as a shopkeeper in directories from 1885 to 1894. The shop measured 11 feet by 12 feet and the property also contained a parlour, living room; kitchen and scullery downstairs with four bedrooms above. The valuer remarked: "Loft over scullery. Good. One bedroom over part yard about 10 feet by 10 feet. Attic boxroom reached by ladder". Outside stood a large brick and slate barn, an earth closet, a large corrugated iron barn, a "good" brick and slate barn and an open tile shed

 20-22 Woburn Road June 2008
20-22 Woburn Road June 2008

Number 22 Woburn Road [DV1/C233/94-95] was owned and occupied by Matthew Robinson who was a baker. He is listed in Kelly's Directory in 1924, 1928, 1931 and 1940. The valuer noted that the shop measured 11 feet square with a loft over. The property also comprised a parlour, living room, kitchen and scullery downstairs with four bedrooms and a box room above. The valuer remarked: "used as bakers and confectioners". The bakehouse measured 16 feet by 14 feet with a flour loft over ("good") and contained a five bushel oven ("coal oven side flue"). Also outside were a weather boarded and slated loose box, a wood and slate chaff store, wooden coal barns, a large wood and slate barn, a washhouse built into a barn, two pigsties and an earth closet. The valuer noted: "This was originally two houses and was converted into one and front room used as shop".

The property remains a business. It is now [2009] Little Emms hairdressers and stands on the corner of Woburn Road and Thomas Street.