Lower Samshill Farm Westoning

Lower Samshill Farmhouse August 2009

Lower Samshill Farmhouse was listed by the former Department of Environment in January 1961 as Grade II, of special interest. It lies in very attractive countryside some way fro Westoning itself and dates to the 17th century. It is a timber-framed structure, the ground floor clad in red brick, with some vitrified headers, the first floor with cement render. The roof is of concrete tiles. The two storeyed house is built in a T-plan with a later block projecting to the south.

The Rating and Valuation Act 1925 specified that every property and piece of land in the country had to be assessed to determine its rateable value. Like much of Bedfordshire, Westoning was valued in 1927 and the valuer visiting Lower Samshill [DV1/H16/72] found it owned by W. Cherry and occupied by H. W. Olney who paid £120 per annum for 98½  acres, the rent having been fixed in 1919. Before the First World War the rent had been £94 for 108½ acres. The valuer noted: "Saw Mr. Olney … Farm very scattered, Ground very wet. Bad roads to farm, Very badly drained yard". Overall the valuer considered "Rent [a] little high".

View at Samshill August 2009

The farmhouse comprised two reception rooms and a kitchen with four bedrooms above. A dairy and an earth closet stood outside. Water came from a pump in the yard.

The homestead comprised:

• South Block A: a brick and slate cooling house and one bay trap house; a stable fro four horses; a wood, brick and corrugated iron food store and a chaff house and a brick, wood, thatched and corrugated iron barn ("half used for chaff");
• West Block B: a wood and corrugated iron four bay open shed;
• North Block C: a wood and tiled loose box; a cow house for nine beasts; two wood and tiled cowhouses for two beasts; a hen house and a store house.

The valuer commented: "Buildings in poor order".

Countryside at Lower Samshill August 2009