Chapter Eight - Baldock and the A1 Offices

Summary

Acquisition of business in Baldock and Biggleswade, 1937

The estate agency office at 8 High Street, Baldock, together with an office in the Market House, Biggleswade, was acquired by Robert Peacock in 1937, following the death of Charles Sidney Knowles PASI who had founded the practice. Charles Knowles had also run a small cattle market in the Market Square at Baldock, but that had ceased trading before Robert Peacock took over the business.

The Baldock office building was prominently located at the end of a terrace close to the Market Square. There was a frontage to the Great North Road, the A1. This brought the main road traffic through Baldock until the opening of the A1(M) bypassed the town. The three-storey building, which also had a cellar, had originally been a cobbler's shop. The premises were rented at the princely sum of just £1 per week – plus rates – and for a period of years the first floor was sublet to a chiropodist at 30s per week.

The work of the Baldock office was typical of a general estate agency practice and embraced sales, valuations, surveys and property management. A number of successful property auctions were held in the area, and Peacocks was prominent in the town and surrounding villages.

The first property auction carried out by Peacocks as successor to the late Charles Knowles was held at the Swan Hotel, Biggleswade, on the 18 June 1937. Four lots were offered but only one sold, which comprised four cottages in Cheyney Street, Steeple Morden, Cambridgeshire. The cottages fetched £155. The remaining three lots were sold after the auction. The most notable was of these was 27 - 31 Shortmead Street, Biggleswade, which consisted of a business premises and two cottages with a site of over an acre and a half, bought by Bryants Cycle Merchants of Biggleswade.

An important sale was held on 29 October 1949 at The Sun Hotel, Hitchin, when as joint auctioneers with Drysdale Nurse & Co. of London W1, the Bygrave Manor Estate near Baldock was offered. The estate comprised a farm bailiff's house, a modern residence, farm buildings, fifteen farm-workers’ cottages and some 1,030 acres. The farm was sold, with vacant possession, to Mr G. Brookbanks. In addition there was an estate of thirty-six houses, seven of which were sold to the sitting tenants.