Fern House Hockliffe

Fern House March 2015

Fern Cottage (or Fern House) stands on the eastern side of Watling Street to the south-east of Birch's Close, in an area which originally belonged to Chalgrave parish but was transferred to Hockliffe in 1929. The Heritage Environment Record describes the property as a two storey, end of row estate cottage of nineteenth century origin, brick built with a gabled tile roof, a brick chimney shaft, and a selection of sash and casement windows. [HER6420].

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. The area of Hockliffe formerly in Chalgrave was assessed in 1926. At this date Fern Cottage was owned and occupied by S. Birch. It consisted of two reception rooms, a kitchen and a scullery downstairs, and three bedrooms and a boxroom upstairs, with a cellar in the basement, and was of brick and slate construction. Outbuildings were a henhouse, a washhouse and an earth closet, all also of brick and slate. The valuer described it as "deceptive from front. Poor when you go round back. Glorified cottage" [DV1/C15/43]. In 2014 Fern Cottage was the premises of Garage Doors Workshop Ltd.