3 and 5 Cranfield Road Wootton

3 and 5 Cranfield Road March 2012

3 and 5 Cranfield Road make an attractive pair of cottages which look up Church Road. They were listed by English Heritage in August 1987 as Grade II, of special interest. They are not particularly old, mid 19th century, but are certainly distinctive, built in mottled red brick with fishscale tile roofs.

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. Like most of the county, Wootton was largely assessed in 1927 and the valuer visiting the properties [DV1/C50/59-60] found both of them owned by S. Palgrave Page.

Number 3 was occupied by F. Lake whose rent, set in 1920, was £9 per annum for a living room, front room and kitchen with two bedrooms above. A barn and an earth closet stood outside and water came “from pump good supply”. The valuer commented: “Very good cottage, no garden”. Another hand has written: “Well built, right on road”. Next door was in the occupation of J. Green who paid £6 per annum, a rent set in 1917, for identical premises except it had “much better garden”.