Historic Building Recording: Ruffs Cottage, 24 High street, Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire

In November 2024 KDK Archaeology Ltd carried out a retrospective Historic Building Recording of an outbuilding adjacent to Ruffs Cottage, 24 High Street, Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire that had been largely demolished and the remaining walls rebuilt. The work was carried out according to the strategy agreed with BBHET, which required: " analysis of photographs taken by the applicant in advance of the building's demolition " historical research to ascertain its past and present use " in addition, photographs of the remaining structure were analysed The building was a single storey, limestone structure that was probably built in the late 18th century and re-roofed in slate in the 19th century. Although subdivided into three units from at least the early 19th century, the structure was latterly a single open space with a fireplace at the southern end. The door in the north elevation had been blocked and a window had replaced one of the doors in the west elevation. These alterations, as well as the installation of a Perspex rooflight at the northern end of the roof, all appear to date from the second half of the 20th century. The property is named after Arthur David Ruff who, with his son Ronald, ran a general grocery store in the village from c. 1900. By 1925 he had bought the property from his landlord, the deputy lieutenant of Bedfordshire, Leonard Stileman Gibbard, and the Valuation Survey of that year describes the outbuilding as a barn and earth closet. The property was acquired by John Dunkley, a local builder, in the second half of the 20th century who used the barn as a workshop.