20 and 21 School Lane March 2008

20 and 21 School Lane are a semi-detached paid of estate cottages. They bear a plaque "S W 1797" suggesting that they were built in that year by Samuel Whitbread II. They were listed by the former Department of Environment in 1966 as Grade II, of special interest. They are timber-framed with a colour-washed rough-cast render over it and have half-hipped thatched roofs.

In 1927 Southill was valued under the Rating Valuation Act 1925; every piece of land and building in the country was assessed to determine the rates to be paid on it. The valuer visiting 20 and 21 School Lane [DV1/C32/103-104] noted that the houses were owned by the Whitbread Estate and occupied by B.Breed and E.Francis respectively, at respective rents of £4/11/4 and £3/18/6 per annum.

Number 20 comprised a parlour and kitchen downstairs with two bedrooms above; outside was a barn with a copper for heating water and a small pigsty. The valuer commented: "Small cottage; fair repair; very bad slope". Next door comprised a hall with a landing, a parlour and a kitchen with a copper and larder with two bedrooms upstairs; outside were an earth closet and barn and a small wood shed.