Numbers 40 to 45 and Detached Outhouses

A row of six cottages with detached outhouses, built in 1854 for agricultural labourers on the Bedford Estate by the 7th Duke of Bedford. The cottages are constructed of red brick laid in a rat-trap bond, with 20th-century tile roofs. They are arranged as a symmetrical one-and-a-half-story block with a six-bay facade, the central and outer bays gabled, and the second and fifth bays featuring small gables. The ground floor has two three-light windows flanking four two-light windows, while the attic level has six two-light windows, all with cast iron lattice casements set under slightly cambered heads. Four doorways are present, each topped with a gabled hood featuring curved brackets and drop finials. Cottages number 40 and 45 have side porches. The chimneys are tall, constructed of red brick.

The 7th Duke of Bedford aimed to provide comfortable dwellings for agricultural workers, placing emphasis on utility rather than aesthetics. The quality of construction is notable for the time. These cottages represent an early and influential contribution to working-class housing, predating the garden city movement and early council housing. The Dukes of Bedford built approximately 500 cottages in the area between the 1840s and World War I. This block exemplifies the plain but substantial dwellings of the initial phase of that building program, and is similar to designs illustrated in the 7th Duke’s published Plans and Elevations. The brickwork is an example of early cavity walling. The cottages form a linear grouping along a road bordering Woburn Park and hold group value due to their context.