Hillfoot Cottage Pulloxhill

Hillfoot Cottage from Barton Road March 2011

The Bedfordshire Historic Environment Record [HER] contains information on the county's historic buildings and landscapes and summaries of each entry can now be found online as part of the Heritage Gateway website. The entry for Hillfoot Cottage [HER 8372] states that the cottage probably dates from the late 17th century, with 18th century red bricks overlaying the earlier timber-framing. The cottage comprises two storeys and has an old clay tiled roof.

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. The valuer visiting the cottage [DV1/A17/34-34a] found that it was divided into two dwellings, one in the eastern half the other in the west. The owner was Miss Field, who lived at Fielden House in Silsoe.

Both dwellings were vacant at the time of the valuer's visit. He noted: "to be let at Michaelmas with twelve acres of grass and five acres of arable as one farm at fancy price. At present assessed with Pond Farm". The latter comment is a little strange since Pond Farm was owned by G. W. Tookey and not Miss Field, though she did own property in Pulloxhill High Street near the farmhouse.

Hillfoot Cottage from the public footpath March 2011