6 and 8 King Street in March 2009

The building now numbered 6 and 8 King Street was, for most of its life, two separate cottages. The building was listed by the former Department of Environment in 1986 as Grade II, or special interest. The property dates from the 18th century and is constructed of red brick with a slated gambrel roof. The 1986 description refers to two doors and two ground floor windows in a symmetrical front. As can be seen from the photograph above, this is no longer the case, the modern brickwork on the ground floor making a sharp contrast with the older bricks above.

In 1847 the estate of a Mr. Kitchen was sold at auction [WG2441]. It included the George and Dragon (then simply the George in the particulars) along with 6 and 8 King Street and other properties in the Market Square and Brook End. 6 and 8 King Street was described as: "All those two substantial brick-built and tiled freehold houses and shoemaker's shop, having a frontage to King Street, with Yard, Barns and Stables, as occupied by Messrs. Tyler and Partridge at an annual rental of £14 14s. 0d., and the stable adjoining, now occupied by Mr. Fisher, together with a right of cart way from King Street". The sale particulars held by Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service unfortunately do not give the buyer.

 
6 and 8 King Street 1847 - Lot 1

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. Like much of the county, Potton was assessed in 1927 and the valuer noted that both numbers 6 and 8 [DV1/C12/58-59] were owned by a man simply identified as "Leatherdale". 6 was occupied by John Powdrill Hart and 8 by George Daisley Both dwellings contained two bedrooms and a living room as well as an attic and a wood and tile barn outside, the valuer commented that Number 8 was "poor".