VILLAGE HOUSING
HOUSING IN KETTLESTONE
On the 1911 census there were 39 dwellings described as cottages
The other dwellings were:-
The White Horse public house
Reeder's shop
The Post Office and shop
A blacksmith’s shop
The Rectory
Manor Farm House
Church Farm House
Kettlestone House
White Horse Farm
TIED ACCOMMODATION
Most of the cottages in the village were tied. Tied accommodation was a common practice in rural England where the farmer could control who lived in the property. Rent was often minimal and considered part of the employee's remuneration. The practice benefitted the farmer by providing accommodation to workers close to their place of work and the advantage to tenants was a certain level of security in the knowledge that they had a place to live as long as they continued working.
However, as it was common for a contract to be as short as a year, tenants had to move regularly. If they had no new work to go to or were elderly or infirm, they could end up in the workhouse.
OVERCROWDING
Kettlestone cottages were often small and overcrowded. Two of the cottages listed on the 1911 census housed families of 11.
THE RECTOR WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE ACCOMMODATION AVAILABLE TO VILLAGE WORKERS
10th September 1917
Special meeting of the Parish Council at the Rectory to consider the request of the Rural District Council -the matter of housing the working class in the place – whether sufficient or if not what?
Resolved more accommodation is needed where there are large families and that this could be provided for by additions to existing properties
Old cottages in Kettlestone
A Kettlestone family outside their cottage
Arthur and Sarah Green outside their cottage.
The ruins of the White Horse Pub.
It was owned by Morgan's Brewery of Norwich and closed in 1958. Afterwards it was used as a barn and storehouse until it collapsed in a gale some years later.
Manor Farm.
During WW1 it was a tenant farm owned by Charles Scott-Chad of Thursford Hall
Church Farm
Owned by the Case family in WW1
The Old Rectory . The photo was taken about 40 years ago.
