Area 3.2. 22 High Street South, Thatched Cottage & bakery and Black Swan

This delightful cottage was refurbished in the late 90’s and won a prestigious national prize in the Best Renovation category. It was the home of Gerald Smith who was a master builder and it is architecturally interesting in that it is of cruck construction. One of the paired cruck trusses can be seen in the left gable end.

The small brick building facing onto High Street South is the old bakehouse which was in use up until 1968. Fresh bread was delivered around the village by a number of methods, basket, bike or van and we still have people in the village who remember being ‘baker boys’.

Almost opposite there is 41, High Street South which used to be another Stewkley public house. This one was called ‘The Black Swan’ and you can still see the sign hanging outside there from when it was a pub. Today it has been refurbished as a dwelling.