Kempston House - Green End, Kempston, Bedfordshire, UK - Pre-Victorian Historic Homes on Waymarking.com

It is with thanks to the Bedfordshire County Council website that the following information is available:

Kempston Rural contains a number of impressive houses, among them Kempston House. It was given Grade II Listed status by the Department of Environment in the late 20th century and their surveyor considered it to be the remains of a late 16th or early 17th century timber-framed house with an 18th century rear wing; the house was further extended and remodelled in the mid 19th century. The original wing is of close-studded timer-framing with red brick nogging with a hipped old clay tiled roof.

Somewhat surprisingly Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service has only one deed for the building. In 1801 successful Bedford brewer William Long (Sir William from 1814) purchased the Manor of Kempston Greys alias Hastingsbury and Kempston Hardwick property from members of the Cater family, the former Lords of the Manor. The purchase price was £29,000 and included not only the lordship but Kempston House, which, the deed notes, was previously called The Place, with its 4 acres and 22 perches of grounds and an additional 1,439 acres 3 roods 25 perches throughout the parish of Kempston including Great Wood, Little Wood, Coleman's Spinney, Bartram's Farm, Brinnley's Farm, Burr's Farm, Cowdell's Farm, White Hands Farm, Saunders' Farm, Kempston Mill and nine cottages in Kempston, including one used as a pest house.

William Long had begun in business as a brewer in 1783 as partner to Henry and James Whittingstall, operating from St.Paul's Brewery, 8 St.Paul's square, Bedford. By 1803 Henry Whittingstall was dead and in that year Long bought out his brother and when he died in 1841 his brewery business, including 28 licensed houses, as well as Kempston House, passed to his son-in-law Robert Newland and his partner William Pestell. Pestell died in 1856 and the business passed to Newland alone, but was being carried on by his son Bingham before 1861 and he too lived at Kempston House. The business was sold on Bingham's death in 1873 to Thomas Jarvis, another Bedford brewer.

Another Newland who lived at Kempston House was William Pritzler Newland, Bingham's brother. Frederick Thomas Young had built a brewery in Duck Mill Lane, Bedford, in 1873 and the following year Newland became his partner. Newland bought Young out in 1876 trading as Newland & Company, and in 1890 he became partner with another Bedford brewer Susan Nash, widow of William Joseph Nash, thus forming the company of Newland & Nash, which became a public limited company with 75 tied houses in 1897. Newland died three years later but his widow continued to live at Kempston House well into the 1920s. Newland & Nash Limited purchased the small Northill brewery business of Martha Marsom in 1914 and the Potton Brewery Company in 1922, but was itself bought out by Biggleswade brewers Wells & Winch in 1924.

In 1927 Bedfordshire was valued under the Rating Valuation Act 1925; each piece of land and building was valued to determine the rates to be paid on it. The valuer of Kempston House noted that Mrs.Newland was still owner/occupier and the house stood in 3.853 acres. Accommodation comprised the following: a south hall ("dark"); a south facing study measuring 19ft by 14ft; a housekeeper's room; a larder; a kitchen measuring 14ft by 19ft (another hand adding "gone now" to this later); a scullery (the later hand noting "now outside"); and a cellar down steps ("gone"). The dining room was east facing and measured 20ft by 17 (the later hand adding "now drawing[room]") and the drawing room faced south and measured 19ft by 14 with a 12ft by 5 bay; a heated conservatory measured 12ft by 22ft.

Upstairs lay: a servants' bedroom; a wc; an east facing bedroom; another east facing bedroom partly over the dining room and measuring 18ft by 14; a south facing bedroom over the dining room; a dressing room; a south facing sitting room ("used by Mrs.Newland"); another south facing bedroom; and two further servants' bedrooms ("good"). On the second storey were three servant's bedrooms ("with slope no use").

Outside stood: a summer house; brick and tile coal and wood barns; a brick and tile tool house; a coal house with a loft over it; a tool house; a greenhouse measuring 22ft by 12ft; a heated lean-to vinery at 46ft by 12ft; eight brick and tile loose boxes, a harness room and workshop, open shed and two coach houses - all "not used". There was also a brick and tile coachman's cottage [now The Cottage] with a living room, kitchen, pantry and two bedrooms ("bad"). The valuer noted: "Gardens very good and well kept".

Overall the house had no electric lighting and water came from a pump. The valuer summed it up as: "Another Quite Useless very old house. No Light. No Baths. Bad Drainage. Quite Unlettable!!"

The use of a sitting room on the second floor by Mrs.Newland hints at her not being the sole inhabitant and this is confirmed by a number of deeds between 1910 and 1920 which show that a Newland & Nash Limited trustee, Richard Summers was also living at the premises, presumably as Mrs.Newland's tenant.

Recent planning applications give a flavour for the development of the house and grounds as a family home in the late 20th century. In 1977 The Cottage was altered and extended whilst in 1991 a swimming pool was installed at Kempston House itself, with a link between pool and house. The following year the vinery was reconstructed and the stables altered to form a garden machinery store and garage.

We also know that in the 1960s Quentin Crewe and Angela Huth - famous writers and good friends of Princess Margaret - lived in Kempston House.

Earliest Recorded Date of Construction: 01/01/1590 Additional Dates of Construction: Late 16th/Early 17th Century - Original Construction 18th Century - Rear Wing Added Mid 19th Century - Extended and Remodelled 1927 - Valuation carried out 1960s - Purchased by Quentin Crewe and Angela Huth 1977 - Extended and altered 1991 - Swimming Pool added 1992 - Vinery reconstructed Architectural Period/Style: Tudor Type of Building e.g. Country House, Stately Home, Manor: Manor House Interesting Historical Facts or Connections: 1801 - Purchased by William Long and remained in the local brewing family until the 1920s. 1960s - Belonged to Quentin Crewe and Angela Huth Listed Building Status (if applicable): Grade 2 Listed Building Main Material of Construction: Brick with Timber frame Private/Public Access: Private Related Website: [Web Link] Rating: Architect (if known): Not listed Landscape Designer (if known): Not listed Admission Fee (if applicable): Not Listed Opening Hours (if applicable): Not listed

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