9 And 11, High Street

A pair of cottages built in 1862 on the Bedford Estate for agricultural workers, commissioned by the 8th Duke of Bedford. The cottages are constructed of mottled pink brick with red brick dressings, and have clay tile roofs. They form a two-storey block with gables projecting from both the south and east elevations. Each gable has a canted bay window on the ground floor, while other windows are two-light designs with gauged brick flat arches. The first-floor window of the right-hand (south) block is positioned beneath a smaller gable. All windows originally contained cast iron lattice casements. The entrances are set within the angles created by the projecting gables, with plank doors sheltered by porches and gauged brick round-headed arches. The eaves and roof verges are detailed with moulded drop finials, and a prominent red brick ridge stack is present. The 7th Duke of Bedford prioritised comfortable housing for agricultural workers, and these cottages reflect an emphasis on practicality over picturesque design. Their construction is of a remarkably high quality for labourers’ cottages of this period, and they represent an important influence on the later development of working-class housing, including garden cities and early council housing. Approximately 500 such cottages were built by the Dukes of Bedford between the late 1840s and World War I. The design of these cottages is similar to those shown in the 7th Duke’s Plans and Elevations, with the increased use of decorative elements reflecting their location near an entrance lodge to Woburn Park.