Reference
DV1
Title
1925 Valuation Act Rating Books
Date free text
1924 - 1940
Production date
From: 1924 To: 1940
Admin/biog history
The Rating and Valuation Act, 1925 required a survey of all property for rating purposes.
All local rating authorities except Ampthill Urban District Council agreed to employ J R Eve & Son of Bedford to undertake thir valuation work.
The records, deposited at Bedfordshire Archives include maps (DV2) and field books (DV1).
Scope and Content
The information recorded in the field book is often detailed, and includes comments by the valuer. Most entries for houses give the owner and occupier, rent, number of individual rooms, building materials of house and outbuildings, details of water supply and sanitation and a general comment on the condition of the property.
Not all field books survive. Information given for cottages in rural areas is better than the information given for small properties in major towns such as Bedford and Luton.
The field books cross reference to each other when changes are made, e.g. an entry in a C book may cross reference to X and NV books if alterations to the property are made.
Level of description
sub-fonds