48 and 48a High Town Road comprise an impressive three storey building on the corner of Duke Street. For most of the 20th century the two shops were quite distinct but at the time of writing [2011] form one suite of offices of a firm of accountants.

The Rating and Valuation Act 1925 specified that every building and piece of land in the country was to be assessed to determine its rateable value. The valuer visiting 48 and 48a High Town Road found them owned by the trustees of Bartle F. Rollings. The premises occupied a corner site with a return frontage of 13 feet to Duke Street.

48a High Town Road was leased by Alfred Monger who was a draper. He paid rent of £100 per annum. The window measured 5 feet across. The shop was in two parts measuring, respectively, 16 feet by 15 feet and 16 feet by 18 feet. Private accommodation comprised a reception room, two bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor and three bedrooms on the second floor. 48 High Town Road next door was the White Rose Café. The White Rose Catering Company (Luton) Limited also had premises in the Corn Exchange on Market Hill, at 16 Leagrave Road and at 1 Wimborne Road.

Directories for Bedfordshire were published every few years from 1839, for example, the beginning of the 20th century has directories for 1903, 1906, 1910 and 1914. Countywide directories ceased to be published during the Second World War, the last for Bedfordshire being in 1940. Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service has directories just for Luton for 1939, 1950, 1960, 1965, 1968, 1972, 1974 and 1975. The first street numbers in High Town Road begin to appear in directories in 1885 but it looks as if there was some renumbering of properties on the odd side of the road between 1890 and 1894.

• 1885: George Heley, boot and shoe maker;
• 1898: Bartle F. Rollings, draper;
• 1903: Arthur Henry Clark, confectioner; Bartle F. Rollings, draper;
• 1906: Arthur Henry Clark, confectioner; Bartle F. Rollings, draper;
• 1910: Alfred Monger, draper;
• 1914: 48 - Tom Howard Barnes, confectioner; 48a – Alfred Monger, draper;
• 1920: 48 – Frank Theobald, confectioner;  48a – Alfred Monger, draper;
• 1924: 48 - Frank Theobald, confectioner; 48a - Alfred Minger, draper;
• 1928: 48 - William Austin, confectioner; 48a – Alfred Monger, draper;
• 1931: 48 – White Rose Catering Company (Luton) Limited; 48a – Alfred Monger, draper;
• 1936: 48 – White Rose Catering Company (Luton) Limited; 48a – E. & M. Dunbar Limited, drapers;
• 1939: 48 – J. B. Turnbull; White Rose Catering Company Limited; 48a – E. & M. Dunbar Limited;
• 1940: 48 – White Rose Catering Company (Luton) Limited; 48a - E. & M. Dunbar Limited, drapers;
• 1950: 48 – White Rose Catering Company Limited; 48a – E. & M. Dunbar Limited;
• 1960: 48 – James B. Turnbull; 48a - E. & M. Dunbar Limited, drapers;
• 1965: 48 and 48a - E. & M. Dunbar Limited, drapers; 48a – Reginald Miller;
• 1968: 48 and 48a - E. & M. Dunbar Limited, drapers; 48a – Ethel Miller; 48a – David A. Dunbar;
• 1972: 48 and 48a - E. & M. Dunbar Limited, drapers; 48a – Ethel Miller; 48a – David A. Dunbar;
• 1974: 48 and 48a - E. & M. Dunbar Limited, drapers; 48a – Ethel Miller; 48a – David A. Dunbar;
• 1975: vacant;
• 2011: August Martyn, accountants.