20 and 21 School Lane March 2008

20 and 21 School Lane are a semi-detached paid of estate cottages. They bear a plaque "S W 1797" suggesting that they were built in that year by Samuel Whitbread| II. They were listed by the former Department of Environment in 1966 as Grade II, of special interest. They are timber-framed with a colour-washed rough-cast render over it and have half-hipped thatched roofs.

In 1927 Southill was 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 20 and 21 School Lane [DV1/C32/103-104] noted that the houses were owned by the Whitbread Estate and occupied by B.Breed and E.Francis respectively, at respective rents of £4/11/4 and £3/18/6 per annum.

Number 20 comprised a parlour and kitchen downstairs with two bedrooms above; outside was a barn with a copper for heating water and a small pigsty. The valuer commented: "Small cottage; fair repair; very bad slope". Next door comprised a hall with a landing, a parlour and a kitchen with a copper and larder with two bedrooms upstairs; outside were an earth closet and barn and a small wood shed.