2 to 6 Ford Lane Roxton

Park Farmhouse 1960 [Z53/97/1]

2 to 6 Ford Lane, formerly called Park Farmhouse, was listed by the former Department of Environment in March 1980 as Grade II, of special interest. The department dated the property to about 1600. It seems likely that the house was built by the Lords of the Manor of Roxton, the Mordaunts until 1624 then the Delawnes.

The property is timber framed, mainly rendered and colour washed but with some timbers exposed to Number 2. The property has an 18th century clay tile roof, hipped to south-east corner and gabled elsewhere. The long main block has a projecting wing to the centre of the south-west elevation and a cross-wing of possibly earlier origin to the south-east. The building has two storeys. There is a plaque on the north wall stating: "T.B.III (?) 1704" – presumably a reference to the tenant at the time. A single storey 18th century lean-to lies against the south-west elevation and a late 19th century brick barn adjoins to north-west.

The rear of 2 to 6 Ford Lane March 2010

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. Roxton, like most of Bedfordshire, was assessed in 1927 and the valuer visiting 2 to 6 Ford Lane [DV1/A12/2-2b] found it owned by Fred Bath, owner and occupier of Roxton Park. He, or a predecessor, had evidently purchased both Roxton Park and Park Farm from the Delap family, then Lords of the Manor of Roxton.

The properties were then numbered 22 to 24 The Village. Number 22 was occupied by W. Bambridge who had a living room, a kitchen and three bedrooms. Number 23 was occupied by D. Jarvis who had a living room and three bedrooms and Number 24 was tenanted by Mrs. Holden who paid rent of two shillings per week for a living room, a passage, a downstairs bedroom and three bedrooms above. Bambridge and Jarvis both worked for Bath and their rent was part of their wages.

2 to 6 Ford Lane March 2010