4-6 Market Square June 2008

The Manor of Leighton Buzzard alias Grovebury was the principal landowner in the town before the 19th century. Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service has a full run of court rolls from 1393 to 1727 [KK619-715] and another full run from 1704 to 1867 [X288/1-23]. The service also has court rolls for other manor to own land in the town, the Prebendal Manor, from 1448 to 1459, 1588 to 1591, 1611 to 1622, 1627 and 1631 [KK792-1798]. A fair number of buildings in the Market Square were originally copyhold and a detailed study of these court rolls would probably produce quite detailed histories for a number of properties and the sites on which they stand, though it would take many years of study.

4 Market Square was listed by the former Department of Environment in 1954 as Grade II, of special interest. The building was dated to the 18th century and is built, like a number in the vicinity, in a local bond of vitreous headers with red brick dressings. The building has a steeply pitched gabled Welsh slated roof and comprises three storeys.

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. Leighton Buzzard was assessed in 1927 and the valuer visiting 4 Market Square [DV1/R74/70] noted that it was owned and occupied by Leighton Buzzard Co-operative Society Limited, which also occupied 1 and 3 Hockliffe Street and 2 North Street. The premises contained two shops measuring 18 feet 6 inches by 15 feet and 18 feet 6 inches by 26 feet. The rest of the ground floor comprised a sitting room measuring 12 feet 6 inches by 15 feet, a kitchen measuring 16 feet by 10 feet and a scullery measuring 13 feet by 6 feet 6 inches. Three basements lay beneath measuring 19 feet by 15 feet, 20 feet by 15 feet and 7 feet by 18 feet.

The first floor included a front show room measuring 21 feet 6 inches by 16 feet 6 inches and a stock room measuring 12 feet by 8 feet. There were three bedrooms measuring 12 feet 6 inches by 15 feet, 10 feet by 10 feet 6 inches and 17 feet by 13 feet as well as a W. C. Six bedrooms stood on the second floor measuring, respectively: 12 feet by 10 feet 6 inches; 12 feet by 15 feet 6 inches; 12 feet 6 inches by 16 feet 6 inches; 8 feet 6 inches by 16 feet 6 inches; 9 feet by 15 feet and 10 feet by 6 feet. Three attics ("poor") lay above, in the roof. A brick and slate washhouse measuring 11 feet by 50 feet ("part occupied by Leighton & Linslade Labour Council offices") stood outside and the valuer summed up: "Good shop front double - premises larger than necessary".