13 and 15 Gold Street Riseley
13 and 15 Gold Street April 2015
These two properties are not listed. Nevertheless, in a village with much modern development they stand out as two older dwellings.
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 two cottages [DV1/C215/89-90] found they were owned by Lord Saint John of Bletsoe. Number 13 was occupied by Mrs Savage who paid £3/10/- per annum for a kitchen, a pantry and two bedrooms with a barn outside. Number 15 was in occupation of B A Rootham who paid £9 per annum for a living room, a kitchen and scullery and three bedrooms upstairs as well as an "old office". He also had a quarter of an acre adjoining containing a weather-boarded and tiled blacksmith's shop, washhouse and store and an old workshop with a loft over. There was also a homestead, which the valuer reckoned "very poor indeed" containing a weather-boarded and tiled shelter, a corrugated iron lean-to, shed and two pigsties, a weather-boarded and tiled stable for three horses, with a further stable used as a sty, a chaffhouse, a loose box and a calf pen.
On 31st March 1951 Lord Saint John's estate in Melchbourne, Bletsoe and Riseley, known as the Melchbourne Estate and totalling 1,889 acres was put up for sale by auction in 81 lots [AD1147/32]. Number 13 was Lot 49 and was occupied by C Crowsley whose rent was £7/10/- per annum for a living room, kitchen, two bedrooms, barn and earth closet. Electricity was installed but water came from a standpipe in the street. Number 15 was Lot 50 and was in occupation of Miss Waldock who paid £25 per annum for a living room with range and cupboards, sitting room, lounge hall, kitchen, large pantry, bathroom ("bath is the property of the tenant") and four bedrooms. Electricity and water were both installed. An earth closet stood outside and the tenant also leased an arable field which was included in the lot making it 5 acres, 3 roods, 10 poles in total.