14 George Street Woburn

14 George Street March 2012

14 George Street was listed by the former Ministry of Works in January 1961 as Grade II, of special interest. The property was then called Genesis House. It dates from the later 18th century and is built of red brick with vitrified headers; the roof is tiled. The property comprises two storeys and attics.

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. Woburn, like much of the county was valued in 1927 and the valuer visiting 14 George Street (then numbered 12 George Street) [DV1/C126/36] found that, like most of Woburn, it was owned by the London and Devon Estates Company.

The tenant was Edward Barratt who worked for the duke because his rent was “in wages”. His accommodation comprised a hall, two living rooms and a kitchen with three bedrooms, two attics and a W. C. above. Outside stood a washhouse and W. C. and a brick and tiled coachhouse, store room, loose box and coal barn. The place was gas lighted and had mains water. The valuer commented: “On road”. The garden was listed separately [DV1/C126/34] and comprised 0.144 of an acre.

Directories for Bedfordshire were not published every year but every few years. Edward Barratt is listed at the address in directories of 1924, 1928, 1931, 1936 and, the last for the county, 1940.

Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service has plans for the property dating from 1999 [PCWoburn18/3/6]. These show proposed alterations to a kitchen window and the insertion of a new window and internal alterations to form an opening between the kitchen and dining room.