This group of nine houses and six flats were built on land given by the Duke of Bedford to the council in the late 1940’s, originally land that was part of No. 41 and rented by Mr. William Kilby.
Behind the houses now in Bedford Close there used to be a foundry which moved to Aylesbury early in the last century. The Old Forge that was located here emcompassed the land that now inclues Forge End and Cherry Trees as well, located on ‘Short Lane’, (now Claypits Lane). The blacksmith was a Mr Pluckhouse, who operated here in about 1780 with a Mr Blackwell.
The Worrell family lived here from at least 1837 (before which malting was carried out on the premises) though they had previously lived in a cottage near Holloway Lane. For many years the family ran an engineering and foundry business and made the windows for the Lodge. By 1865, the name Worrell is replaced by Phillips and Franck who repaired mill and agricultural machinery. The foundry continued to operate here until 1879.
By the turn of the century, Mr Kilby was the occupier of No. 41, and in the 1940’s and 1950’s, parts of the smallholding were returned to the Duke in exchange for a lower rent. Some of these parcels of land were then given to the council by the Duke of Bedford for the building of Bedford Close. In 1949, Joy Atkins moved into No. 2 when she got married.
The once council houses are now private residences.
