48 Hay Street, Little Orchard

This house was built in 1968/69 in a modern style, which was met with mixed views in the village. Neighbour John Brockett never took to it!

When house numbers were first allocated in 1969 it was 32 Hay Street and with the 1977 renumbering it became No 48.

A plot of land was sold by Winifred May Philipps to Vivienne Gay on 20 July 1966 and in January 1968 Miss V Gay of 56 North Avenue, Letchworth applied for planning permission to build a house. The extent of her involvement is uncertain as she appears not to have lived at Little Orchard once it was completed. The plot she bought was the front part of an ancient close that was part of the Cheyney Estate and the rear part of the close had been absorbed within the land that went with Two Trees.

Winfred May Philipps and Martin Philipps had bought The Stores and this adjoining plot from Frank & Minnie Wiles in 1961 and presumably decided to release some capital by selling off the building plot in 1966.

Owners and Occupiers of 48 Hay Street

History of the Ancient Close

The plot for No 48 was the front part of an ancient close, belonging to Cheyney Manor, which was owned by the Cheyney family from 1248 and had descended by marriage to members of the Verney family; notably Lord Willoughby de Broke. At the time of Enclosure 1808-1817 de Broke is noted as the owner of the ancient close and as part of the Enclosure Award he was allotted 0a 0r 6p of freehold land (Allotment 19) taken from Hay Street and added onto the front of his ancient close. The small new allotment of land was described as having an allotment to the Earl of Hardwicke on the north, old inclosure of Lord Willoughby de Broke on the east, allotment to John Mabbott on the south and on the west North Brook End Road [sic]. The Enclosure Map does not show any buildings on this land.

In 1829 de Broke sold the Manor and Estate to Joshua Lilley of Bassingbourn. By the time of the Tithe Apportionment in 1839 there is a cottage on the plot, which extends to 0a 3r 13p and the tenant was Charles Charter senior and the owner was Joshua of Lilley of Bassingbourn. When George Lilley, son of Joshua, sold the estate in 1859 this cottage and garden were Lot 10 and the tenant was Susan Charter, widow of Charles. The extent of the land was still shown as 0a 3r 13p.

As part of a Tithe Re-Apportionment made in 1925 the owners of the plot are recorded as Wortham Pearce, who lived at Victoria House and William Law Swan of the Post Office and shop adjoining. This suggests that ownership of the original plot had been split between Pearce, who had the back piece and Swan, who had the front piece, with the cottage on it. The whole was described as cottage and garden 0a 3r 13p.

The cottage appears to have deteriorated over time and was demolished in the early 20th Century, with little if any memory of it amongst village residents by 2000.

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