Wayside Cottage Stagsden

Wayside Cottage about 1900 [Z50/107/4]

Number 8 Bedford Road was known as Wayside Cottage; it stands out amid the other, more modern houses along the road. When the cottage was listed by Department of the Environment the architect considered that it is 18th century. He then described it as being colour-washed roughcast over a timber frame with a thatched roof. The house forms an L plan with a gable end projecting towards the road on the left hand side. In common with many houses of the time it was originally a one storey structure with attics.

 
Wayside Cottage interior about 1900 [Z50/107/5]

In 1926 this part of Bedfordshire was valued under the Rating Valuation Act of 1925; every piece of land and building was inspected to determine the rates to be paid upon it. The valuer visiting Wayside Cottage noted [DV1/C36/83] that it was a brick, stucco and thatch property and that the owner-occupier was R.Wiles. The house comprised a living room, kitchen, scullery and pantry downstairs, with four bedrooms above; outisde were a barn and an earth closet. the valuer commented: "Week end type. Lovely. Very nice cittage & garden. Water from good well. Bad slope up. Nice garden".

8 Bedford Road in December 2007