21 Market Place Woburn
21 Market Place May 2012
21 Market Place was formerly part of the White Hart Inn from the 17th century until the middle of the 18th century. The property was listed by English Heritage in March 1987 as Grade II, of special interest. The listing dates the building to the 16th century, noting that it was reworked in the early 19th century. It is a timber-framed structure with brick infill. The front has been covered in stucco and then colourwashed and most of the remainder has been covered in roughcast render before being colourwashed though some timber-framing is exposed on the side. The roof has slates in front and clay tiles at the rear. The property comprises three storeys.
In 1879 the property was for sale and the particulars [HN10/274/Hopkins3 and X171/326] describe “An old established saddler's shop and three storey residence with yard, garden and outbuildings in Market Place, Woburn, in occupation of G. R. Boughton as yearly tenant at £20 per annum rent; bounded on three sides by property of Duke of Bedford”.
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 21 Market Place [DV1/C126/149] found that it was owned and occupied by Richard Thomas Boughton, a saddler and harness maker. George Richard Boughton had probably bought the place in 1879.
The ground floor comprised a shop divided into two areas of 14 feet 6 inches by 15 feet and 14 feet 6 inches by 10 feet, a living room measuring 11 feet by 14 feet 6 inches, a kitchen and a larder. Three bedrooms lay on the first floor, measuring, respectively, 15 feet by 14 feet, 22 feet by 13 feet and 18 feet by 7 feet. Two more bedrooms and a box room lay on the second floor. Outside stood a brick and tiled barn and W. C. The property had gas lighting and mains drainage. The valuer commented: “House poor”.
Directories for Bedfordshire were not published every year but every few years from the early to mid 19th century until 1940. Richard Thomas Boughton is listed as a saddler in directories of 1914 through to 1940. He is preceded by George Richard Boughton in directories of 1877, 1885, 1890, 1894, 1898, 1903, 1906 and 1910. In 1884 and 1869 William Robinson was listed as a saddler in the Market Place and may have occupied the same building as might three previous Market Place saddlers – Mrs. Susanna Odell listed in 1853 and 1862, George Odell listed in 1847 and Nathaniel Lucas listed in 1839.
In 2010 the property, then a private house, was for sale. The particulars [Z449/5/37] noted that there was covered passage down the right hand side ending in an outside toilet. The ground floor contained: a dining room measuring 24 feet by 14 feet 4 inches; a family room measuring 17 feet 10 inches by 14 feet 11 inches and a kitchen/breakfast room measuring 21 feet 11 inches by 8 feet 1 inch. The first floor comprised a sitting room measuring 21 feet 6 inches by 20 feet 1 inches; a bathroom and a bedroom measuring 14 feet 6 inches by 8 feet 7 inches. The second floor had three bedrooms measuring, respectively: 19 feet 5 inches by 13 feet 9 inches; 10 feet 2 inches by 9 feet 5 inches and 14 feet 11 inches by 12 feet 6 inches. At the time of writing [2013] 21 Market Place is Woburn Coffee House.