30 Church Street Tempsford

30 Church Street was listed by English heritage in November 1986 as Grade II, of special interest. The listing dates the property to the late 17th or early 18th century. It is a timber-framed structure with colour-washed plaster infill and has a thatched roof. The one storey and attics building originally had two rooms downstairs. The porch and door are 20th century, as is the extension at the rear.

In 1829 a survey of the Tempsford Estate was carried out [X1/41 and WY1036/12]. At that date the place was a farm and homestead and occupied by Joseph Cole. In 1910 the tenants were the personal representatives of the late William Blott and rent was £40 per annum [WY945/1/4].

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 the building found that it was then called Gannocks Farm. It was still part of the Tempsford Estate and leased by Ream Brothers, whose rent was £94 per annum for 38½ acres. They had succeeded their father H J Ream in 1920 [WY931/25a-c]. On 2nd December 1926 the valuer commented: “Rent high - land all over place. Cottage thatched. Water laid on tank by yard entrance”.

The house and premises was rent-free and occupied by a housekeeper (presumably for the brothers). It then comprised a living room, a kitchen and a pantry. Three bedrooms lay upstairs and outside were a brick and tiled washhouse and a wood and corrugated iron coal house and earth closet.

The homestead contained: two wood and tiled loose boxes; a wood and corrugated iron lean-to; a wood and tiled open shed and barn; two wood and corrugated iron pigsties; a wood and corrugated iron loose box; a wood and tiled henhouse; a wood and corrugated iron two-bay waggon hovel and a wood and tiled lean-to pigsty. In a field were three wood and tiled henhouses. The valuer commented: “note big walnut tree by buildings”.