Laundry Farm Old Warden

Laundry Farm about 1900 [Z50/129/113]

Laundry Farm was listed by the former Department of Environment as Grade II, of special interest. The building was originally 18th century, and therefore built by the Ongley |estate, but substantially reworked by the Shuttleworth| Estate in 1879. It is of colour-washed rough-cast render over a timber frame with applied timber framing at the gable ends. It has a clay tile roof with bands of fish scale tiles, decorative clay ridge cresting and finials. It is an L-plan of one storey and attics with a single storey block to the north.

 
Laundry and farm shown on valuation map

In 1927 the dwellings of Old Warden were valued under the Rating Valuation Act 1925; every piece of land and building in the country was assessed to determine the rates to be paid on it. The valuer visiting Laundry Farm [DV1/C34/45-46] found it was in two occupancies, part as a farm and part as a laundry; divided as shown in the plan above. 45 is the farm building, tenanted by F.Harding, standing in 0.144 of an acre and leased at £5 per annum. It comprised a store shed and two bay open shed, coach-house, hovel, two loose boxes, a store house and henhouse all, in the valuer's opinion "useful Buildings".

 
Plan of the laundry [SL5/133]

The greater part of the building complex, numbered 46 on the map above, was The Laundry (to Old Warden Park|, that is), occupying 0.709 of an acre and tenanted by Miss E.M.Jones. It comprised a parlour, kitchen, scullery, larder and three bedrooms (all "good") as living accommodation with the laundry itself comprising a small mangle room, wash house, ironing room and drying ground. the valuer commented: "Quite good, not very big".