The Grange - 22 Hockliffe Road Tebworth

22 Hockliffe Road in 1907 [AD3716]

The house known today as The Grange is nothing of the sort. A grange was a manor and, by extension, its manor house, owned by a religious institution such as an abbey or priory. Today's house dates from the 18th century. It used to be Grade II listed but this status was revoked in 2005 presumably due to extensive modernisation. It is constructed of red and vitreous brick and comprises two storeys beneath a clay tiled roof. The left hand side, as seen from the front, dates from the 19th century, is built in red brick and has a slate roof.

1907 sale particulars, sale by Richard Purrett, title to begin with the will of John Purrett proved 14th October 1826 [AD3716]. As the photograph shows the end section was then configured differently to today. "A Pleasantly Situated Old-Fashioned House, distinguished as "THE LAURELS", in the occupation of Mrs Duncombe; A COTTAGE adjoining, occupied by John Day (sub-tenants of Messrs D and J Osborn). Pleasure and Kitchen Gardens, Orchard, Large Yard, Outbuildings, and a COTTAGE, known as "The Lodge" situate at TEBWORTH. The House is brick-built, slated and tiled, stands well back from the road, with large lawn in front, and contains Drawing Room with Bay, Dining Room, Kitchen, Cellar and three Bedrooms. The Cottage has a Living Room, Scullery, Dairy and Three Bedrooms. The Outbuildings are principally timber-built and thatched, and consist of Stable, Fowlhouse, Gighouse, Pigsties, and large Corn Barn, with plank floor and bay. Adjoining the barn is a four-roomed Cottage, stuccoed and slated, called "The Lodge", with lean-to Shed. There is a pump and well of water in the yard and a brick-and-tile Closet in the Orchard. The property abuts on the main road from Hockliffe and is enclosed by a wooden paled fence and belt of evergreen shrubs, and has an area of about 1 acre, 19 poles". Also sold was Park Farm, of 93 acres, 20 poles of land and two thatched cottages, since pulled down.

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 22 Hockliffe Road [DV1/C15/75] found it owned and occupied by F M Hinson and standing in 1.120 acres. He noted: "Spent a lot of money on it. Bought 19 years ago", which tells us that it was bought at the auction sale of 1907. The valuer then remarked "Spent £5 to 600 on it since". This must have included the alterations to the gable end evident from the photograph above and the modern photograph below. Finally, he noted: "Nice front, rotten back".

The property had two reception rooms, a kitchen, a back kitchen, an incubator room (presumably for chickens) and larders ("1 old"). Upstairs were three bedrooms, two lumber rooms, a boxroom, a bathroom and a W.C. The following were attached to the house: an old weather-boarded and tiled stable for two horses; a henhouse; a trap house; four brick and slate pig sties; two weather-boarded and tiled stables for three horses each; a barn and a weather-boarded and corrugated iron two bay hovel. The valuer added the following observations: "Cess fall drainage, water from well, house old and rambling" and "was farmhouse".

In 2003 the property was again for sale. The particulars [Z449/1/31] stated: "An exceptional Grade II listed property, originally built as two houses and converted to a single dwelling circa 1900 and completely refurbished and extended from 1989". The ground floor comprised: drawing room (17 feet 9 inches by 35 feet 6 inches); a conservatory (24 feet 5 inches by 11 feet 7 inches); a dining room (18 feet 11 inches by 10 feet 6 inches); a sitting room (18 feet 3 inches by 14 feet 11 inches); a study (15 feet 1 inches by 15 feet); a kitchen/breakfast room (19 feet 7 inches by 19 feet 4 inches); an indoor pool (room 27 feet 9 inches by 47 feet 10 inches) and a utility room. The first floor contained four bedrooms (two en-suite) and a bathroom. Outside were 1.12 acres with lawns, two fishponds, a greenhouse, a tennis court, a summer house, an aviary used as a store, a detached snooker room (measuring 26 feet 9 inches by 17 feet 2 inches), a triple garage and a workshop.

22 Hockliffe Road - The Grange February 2013