7 to 9 Church End about 1900 [Z50/129/110]

Old Warden is something of a show village due to the preponderance of attractive cottages; some are tiled, some are thatched, but most are quaint looking and painted in the same livery of cream and white. Most are rendered and some have mock timber framing on the outside (sometimes concealing real timber framing beneath the render!). All look old but many are 19th century. They all belonged to the Shuttleworth Estate as it was known after Joseph Shuttleworth bought the estate in 1872. It had previously been the Ongley estate after Samuel Ongley bought it from Earl Bolingbroke, a member of the Saint John family of Bletsoe, in 1698.

7, 8 and 9 Church End were listed by the former Department of Environment as Grade II, of special interest in 1966. They have now been knocked into one dwelling, as Number 9. The structure was built by the Ongley Estate in the early 19th century and is of colour-washed rough-cast with a thatched roof. The style is described as "Cottage Ornée". The building has a three room plan of a single storey with attics and had rounded ends on providing an extra room on each end of the ground floor. There are four casement windows described as "eyebrow dormers" from the way the thatched roof sweeps over them. The three trellised porches, each leading to a door of the original block, are linked to form a verandah, the only remaining door is behind the central porch. There is a 20th century lean-to addition to the rear.

7 to 9 Church End March 2008

In 1927 the dwellings of Old Warden were valued under the Rating Valuation Act 1925; every piece of land and building in the country was assessed to determine the rates to be paid on it. The valuer visiting 7 to 9 The Village, as 7-9 Church End was then known [DV1/C34/81-82] found them owned by the Shuttleworth Estate. Number 7 was occupied by J.Trail and comprised a parlour, attached to Number 8-9, larder and scullery downstairs with 2 bedrooms above ["one is very small with no window!!"] with a barn and earth closet outside, the whole standing in 0.330 of an acre. He noted that it was "V.low up" and it was "Poor but very pretty"; rent was £3/2/0 per annum.

Numbers 8 and 9 were both in occupation of J.Berridge and comprised two parlours, attached to Number 7, two sculleries and, above, three bedrooms. Outside were two barns and two earth closets, the whole standing in 0.318 of an acre. Rent was £4/16/0 per annum. The valuer commented: "Was 2 Cottages some years ago. Has a curved end. V.low up. Very pretty but old. Fetch water from Road". The water was obviously taken from the pump over the road, which survives.