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71 High Town Road Luton

67 to 71 High Town Road June 2011
67 to 71 High Town Road June 2011

71 High Town Road has been a hardware dealer, a wool shop and draper's business. At the time of writing [2011] the premises is occupied by a business whichs ervices lawnmowers.

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. Sadly, a detailed inspection of 71 High Town Road has not survived. Nevertheless, an assessment of the whole of High Town Road [DV1/T38] shows that the premises was owned by Joseph Henry Smith and occupied by Francis Hawkes who, directories tell us, was a hardware dealer.

Directories for Bedfordshire were published every few years from 1839, for example, the beginning of the 20th century has directories for 1903, 1906, 1910 and 1914. Countywide directories ceased to be published during the Second World War, the last for Bedfordshire being in 1940. Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service has directories just for Luton for 1939, 1950, 1960, 1965, 1968, 1972, 1974 and 1975. The first street numbers in High Town Road begin to appear in directories in 1885 but it looks as if there was some renumbering of properties on the odd side of the road between 1890 and 1894.

  • 1910: Francis Hawkes, hardware dealer;
  • 1914: Francis Hawkes, hardware dealer;
  • 1920: Francis Hawkes, hardware dealer;
  • 1924: Francis Hawkes, hardware dealer;
  • 1928: Francis Hawkes, hardware dealer;
  • 1931: Francis Hawkes, hardware dealer;
  • 1936: Francis Hawkes, hardware dealer;
  • 1939: Francis Hawkes;
  • 1940: Cyril Barfoot, draper;
  • 1950: H. Barfoot;
  • 1960: Mrs. H. L. Barfoot, wool store;
  • 1965: C. C. Wools, wool shop;
  • 1968: C. and C. Wools;
  • 1972: C. and C. Wools;
  • 1974: not listed;
  • 2011: Lawnmower Services.