28 King Street Potton

28 King Street February 2013

28 King Street was listed by English Heritage in November 1986 as Grade II, of special interest. It dates from the 18th century and is built of red brick with a clay tiled roof. It comprises two storeys.

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. Potton, like much of the county was assessed in 1927. The house had a large homestead at the rear, part of Spencer’s Farm. This, together with Home Farm and Crossroads Farm was owned by Henry Smith and Miss Emilie Gladys of Potton Manor. Total acreage was 540 and the combined farms included two farmhouses, two cottages and three homesteads. The valuer, on 2nd June 1927, noted: “Foreman lives here. Main House sublet. Good land near Potton – heavy top of hill”.

28 King Street itself is not annotated on the map used by the valuers to plot each property but an addition to the description of the farm homestead [DV1/H9/71a] refers to Spencer’s Farmhouse and the sketch seems to match 29 King Street. This property had a parlour, a living room and a kitchen downstairs with four bedrooms above and two attics above that. Outside stood a barn and a dairy.

The farm buildings comprised: a wood and tiled hen house a stable for six horses and a chaff house; a wood and tiled barn, a root house and two bay open shed; three wood and slate loose boxes, a two bat open shed and a one bay shed; a wood and slate barn; a brick and tile store with a loft over; a wood and slate two bay shed; a wood and tile cart shed, one bay shed and stores; a wood and tile barn; a wood and slate earth closet; two wood and slate pigsties; a wood and tile earth closet; two wood and tile six bay open sheds; a wood and tile hen house, granary and tool house. The valuer commented: “Useful”.