Stanford Farmhouse, March 2008

It is difficult to give much of the early history of Stanford Farm due to a lack of records held by Bedfordshire Archives and lack of names in the early documentation. It seems likely that the farm was one of two farms in Stanford, both occupied by Thomas Taylor, listed in a family settlement of 2nd Baron Ongley of Old Warden in 1792 [ref: SL1/2-3] - he was owner of both Stanford Manor and Stanfordbury Manor. In 1800 he entered into a series of exchanges of land with Samuel Whitbread and two of these involved farms in Stanford, one in occupation of Nathanial Simkins [ref: SL1/13] the other in occupation of John Humberstone [SL1/14].

In 1927 Stanford 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 Stanford Farm [ref: DV1/C124/140] found that it was then owned by the Biggleswade & District Smallholders' Society and tenanted by G.Lockey.

The farmhouse is a detached brick and tile building and stands on 0.772 of an acre. The valuer noted that it comprised three living rooms, a kitchen, a scullery, a pantry, a dairy and a cellar with four bedrooms ("large"), two dressing rooms and a bath room ("cold only") above; an earth closet lay outside. The valuer commented: "Farmhouse red brick double fronted, nice".

The homestead was in the various occupations of S.B.King, W.E.Faulkner, A.Cooper, A.Dilley, C.Dilley, F.Dilley, S.Lockey, E.Rawlins, A.A.Roberts and F.H.Hatton. The buildings comprised a south block, by the farmhouse, of a brick and tile harness room, garage, four piggeries, mixing house, five loose boxes and stabling for five horses; the centre yard contained a three stall stable, an eight stall stable, a three bay open shed, a five bay open shed, a barn and granary, stabling for nine horses and a loose box; the rickyard contained a seven bay open shed and a large brick and slate barn with a loft over; the north rickyard contained a wood and tile open barn, a hen house and stores and a wood and corrugated iron ten bay open cart shed.