Numbers 23 To 26 And Detached Outhouses To The Rear

This is a row of six Bedford Estate cottages, numbers 23 to 26, with detached outbuildings to the rear. They were built in 1853 by the 7th Duke of Bedford. Constructed of red brick laid in a rat-trap bond, the cottages have 20th-century tile roofs. They form a symmetrical block with one storey and attics. The facade is four bays wide, with the outer bays gabled and the inner bays each featuring a gablet. The ground floor has two three-light windows flanked by two two-light windows. The attic has four two-light windows. All windows have cast iron lattice casements under slightly cambered heads. Two doorways are centrally positioned, each sheltered by a gabled hood supported on curved brackets. Numbers 23 and 26 have porches on their side elevations. The building features cogged eaves cornices and red brick multiple ridge stacks.

The 7th Duke of Bedford prioritized comfortable housing for agricultural laborers, and from the late 1840s, Bedford Estate cottage building focused on utility rather than picturesque style. These cottages are notable for their construction quality and represent an important contribution to the development of working-class housing, foreshadowing garden cities and early council housing. The Dukes of Bedford constructed approximately 500 cottages in the area between the 1840s and World War I. This block is typical of the plain but substantial dwellings from the early phase of the building program and is 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, as noted by Charles Hacker. Numbers 23 to 26 form part of a significant group of estate cottages along a road which defines the boundary of Woburn Park.