Hilsyde Cottage Hockliffe

Hillsyde Cottage March 2015

Hilsyde Cottage is situated on the west side of Watling Street to the north of the Leighton and Woburn Road junctions. The Heritage Environment Record describes it as an 18th century two storey roughcast brick house, with a bay window, Yorkshire type sash windows, and casement windows with glazing bars. [HER9237]

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. When Hockliffe was assessed in 1926 what is now Hilsyde Cottage was two smaller terraced houses built from brick and slate. The cottage to the left (as viewed from the road) was described as in need of painting. It consisted of a living room, a kitchen and a scullery downstairs, and three bedrooms upstairs. The property shared a part brick and slate barn and use of an outside wash house with its neighbour. This smaller, right-hand cottage contained only a living room, a kitchen, and two bedrooms. Both cottages were owned by A. E. Muckleton; the larger was occupied by B. Higgs at a rent of 4/- per week and the smaller by W. J. Carr at a rent of 3/-. [DV1/C201/36-37]

A revised rating valuation of 1949 shows that the two cottages had been converted into a single property named Hilsyde Cottage. This comprised three sitting rooms, a kitchen, three bedrooms and a bathroom. [DV1/X476/56]