51 High Street March 2010

51 High Street was listed by the former Department of Environment in August 1983 as Grade II, of special interest. The department dated the property to the 17th century, with early 20th century windows. The building is constructed of colour washed roughcast over a timber frame, a half-hipped old clay tile roof, one storey and
attics.

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 51 High Street [DV1/H13/10] found it part of a small farm, owned and occupied by Joseph G. Banks.

The farm comprised 43 acres and the valuer commented: “Water pumped from well. Bought years ago” also: “Fair lot. Plenty of Buildings, Lot of Thatch”. The farmhouse comprised  a parlour, a living room, a scullery, a dairy, three bedrooms and a wood barn. The farm buildings, weather-boarded and thatched or weather-boarded and tiled, comprised: a hen house; a loose box; a two bay open shed; another loose box; another two bay open shed; a barn; a two bay cart shed and a garage both with a loft over; two hen houses; a chaff house; a stable for two horses; a three bay implement shed and a mixing house.