Numbers 15 To 17 And Detached Outhouses To The Rear

Numbers 15 to 17 and the detached outhouses to the rear are a row of Bedford Estate cottages built in 1853 by the 7th Duke of Bedford. They were erected as part of a programme to provide comfortable housing for agricultural labourers. The cottages are constructed of red brick laid in a rat-trap bond, with 20th-century tile roofs. The symmetrical block has one storey and attics, with a four-bay facade; the outer bays are gabled, and the inner bays each have a gablet. The ground floor has two three-light windows flanked by two two-light windows. Four two-light windows are located in the attic. All windows have cast iron lattice casements under slightly cambered heads. Two doorways are situated in the centre, each sheltered by a gabled hood on curved brackets; a further entrance is present on the side elevation of number 15. The building features cogged eaves cornices and red brick multiple ridge stacks. The cottages represent a contribution to the development of working-class housing and are similar in design to number 5 in the 7th Duke’s Plans and Elevations. The brickwork appears to be an early form of cavity walling. The block forms part of a group of estate cottages along a road that defines the boundary of Woburn Park.