Shortmead House in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, is a two-storey Georgian manor house, first mentioned in 1543. The Grade II listed building is lived in by the present owners as well as being used as business premises which are licensed as a wedding venue for civil ceremonies. History There has been a house at Shortmead since the early 16th century with the first mention in 1543 when a Thomas Butcher, the owner of Shortmead Farm, gave money in his will to St Andrew's Church in Biggleswade. In the 1790s the house was remodelled into a Georgian manor house. In 1884 the house and estate, which covered were auctioned in lots thereby reducing the total size. Today the estate covers only . The estate was purchased by Ian Bond in 1999 with the house requiring major renovation both internally and externally to correct years of neglect. In 2002 Ian was joined by his wife Marilyn, who with the help of local volunteer groups like the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers systematically cleared, restored and developed the grounds into formal and informal gardens. The estate is one of scientific interest, providing a safe haven for the Great Crested Newt, an endangered species in the United Kingdom, as well as the Wollemi Pine, a tree only discovered in 1994 in Australia. John and Elizabeth Bricheno John Bricheno was one of the earliest residents of Shortmead House. He is noted in a social journal as being in residence in 1796. He is not mentioned in the 1791 Universal British Directory for Biggleswade so it is likely that he came to either build or buy Shortmead at this time. He is listed in some documents as being a “gentleman". and he owned a large number of properties in this area and other parts of England. In 1796 he married Elizabeth Kent in St Leonards Church, Streatham, Surrey (see marriage certificate on the left). They lived at Shortmead for about 25 years and had several children. He sold Shortmead in about 1823 and moved to Bishopsgate. He died in 1838 and left a Will which outlines the many properties that he owned. It appears that Robert Lindsell, who owned the nearby house of Fairfield, bought Shortmead after the Brichenos left but he rented it for many years. A rental advertisement in 1830 with a description of the house and surrounding land is shown on the right. Dr Abram