2 Crawley Road Woburn

2 Crawley Road March 2012

2 Crawley Road has recently [writing in 2013] been renovated. It was listed by English Heritage in March 1987 as Grade II, of special interest. It dates from the 17th century, with some 19th century reworkings, and may give a clue to the way large parts of Bedford Street looked before the great fire of June 1724 resulted in many damaged properties being rebuilt. The property was reworked in the 19th century.

It is a timber-framed construction with pebbledash render. Parts of the ground floor were apparently replaced or simply encased with brick. The roof is covered in 20th

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 2 Crawley Road found it was then known as 30 Bedford Street. Like much of Woburn it was owned by the Duke of Bedford’s London and Devon Estates Company.

The tenant was George Murrer whose rent was 2/6 per week. His accommodation comprised a living room, a kitchen and three bedrooms. A barn, a store shed and a W. C. all stood outside. The valuer commented: “Detached, nice garden but no bathroom. Attractive”. In 1822 the property was already owned by the Duke of Bedford [R1/240 and R2/68] and was a house, a smith’s shop and garden the whole site measuring 1 rood, 38 poles.