Brogborough
The Round House
Places > Brogborough > Historic Houses
The 17th century Roundhouse was a stronghold during the Civil War and was owned by Colonel Okey, one of the regicides who signed the death warrant of Charles 1. He was later hung, drawn and quartered at Tyburn for his part in the death of the King.
During the 18th and 19th centuries the Roundhouse became a farmhouse from which the 250 acres of land surrounding the house were worked. The land was mainly clay and was primarily used for beef and milking cattle.
In the early 1900s the Hudson Bay Company took over the house and farm and used the farm to teach youngsters Canadian farming methods. After the Second World War the house was used as a hostel for immigrant workers employed in the brickworks.
During the 1980s it became derelict and in June 1983 it was put up for sale by the owners The Hanson Trust and was bought by a local businessman. In August 1993 the listed building was gutted by fire. By 1998, years of neglect had resulted in the collapse of the main chimneystack and east wall and by 1998 the west wall had also collapsed and by 2003 the house was in ruins with only two walls standing.
Sources
- The Newspaper Cuttings Collection, Local Studies Library, Bedford Central Library.
- SEWELL, G. The Roundhouse, Brogborough In The Bedfordshire Family History Journal Vol.14 No.3 p.73 & No.4 p.45 2003
The Round House, Brogborough, by Bedfordshire Libraries, 2012
Page last updated: 23rd January 2014