Tithe Farm Tebworth

Tithe Farmhouse February 2013

Tithe Farmhouse was listed by the former Department of Environment in September 1980 as Grade II, of special interest. The house dates from the late 17th or early 18th centuries and is built in brick – red and vitrified bricks set in a chequer pattern. The house comprises two storeys beneath an old clay tiled roof. The porch is 19th century.

The Rating and Valuation Act 1925 legislated that every building and piece of land in the country was to be assessed to determine its rateable value. The valuer visiting Tithe Farm, on 29th October 1926 [DV1/H29/20] discovered that it was owned and occupied by A. Bird and comprised 150 acres. He noted: "Water from well. Telephone. House good, buildings bad. Purchased 1917 for £4,700". Another hand has written: "Nice house, fair homestead".

The house contained three reception rooms, a kitchen, a parlour and a dairy with three 3 bedrooms (“1 sloping”) and a store room upstairs. A brick and slate earth closet stood outside. The farm buildings comprised: a brick, weather-boarded and corrugated iron cowhouse for five; an old weather-boarded and thatched barn in bays; a weather-boarded and thatched coal barn; a weather-boarded and tiled stable for four horses with chaff house and large barn; a brick, weather-boarded and corrugated iron corn store and a timber and corrugated iron three bay open cart shed.