click on pictures to enlarge
This is a Tudor house, originally a coaching inn, built about 1540 in the reign of Henry VIII.	Raban Court   Raban Court
It has many period features, including black and white timbered walls. It is a Grade II Listed Building, and has protected status.	inner wall
There is a huge old fireplace with bressumer over.	fireplace
The house is available to rent for a year, starting on 1 July 2010, ending on 30 June 2011 (though the ending date could be extended a little if necessary). Ideally suited for a couple with study, work, and social interests in Cambridge and London.
Baldock is a fascinating small town, originally Roman but re-founded in the 12th century by the Knights Templar. It lies at the junction of the main north-south Roman road and an iron-age track called the Icknield Way. There are many Tudor and Georgian buildings, and a fine 14th-century church. Even the large town-centre supermarket is in a very special building!	St Mary's Church
Baldock has several very good schools. The town is well served by two excellent Italian restaurants, several Indian, Bangladeshi, and Chinese restaurants, two fish-and-chip shops, a Greek restaurant and hotel, and many pubs which serve food ranging from bar snacks to gourmet meals. In the recently-refurbished town centre there are several cafés with open-air seating, a very good library, a community centre, and a church hall.	High Street
Our house is three minutes' walk from Baldock railway station; there are fast trains to Cambridge (30 minutes) and London (40 minutes). London's Luton and Stansted Airports (providing cheap flights all over Europe) are both 45 minutes away by car, and there are good bus and coach services from Baldock to all London airports. It takes about 35 minutes by car to the park-and-ride services around Cambridge (we don't recommend driving within Cambridge or London); it is 3 miles to the main A1 north-south road (partly motorway), 30 miles to the M25 London Orbital Road. Cambridgeshire's largest stately home, Wimpole Hall (owned by the National Trust) is nearby, and has its own rare-breeds farm. Baldock is surrounded by delightful hilly countryside, excellent for walking, and the nature reserve called Ivel Springs, where the River Ivel starts, is just across the road from our house. There are good shopping facilities in the adjacent small towns of Letchworth Garden City and Hitchin; halfway to Letchworth there is a large supermarket, several home-furnishing shops and a builder's merchant, and a swimming pool and leisure centre. Letchworth and Baldock have modern gyms.
The house comprises the following accommodation (full details at the end):     entrance lobby with space for coats and shoes; stable door to the courtyard     large living room     dining room / kitchen     staircase     large double bedroom with study area     study (suitable for use as an occasional guest bedroom)     bathroom     outside: gravelled courtyard with flower beds and tubs (shared)         sunny seating area with table and chairs (shared)         space to park one fairly small car         garden bench; herbs in tubs; small shed     gas-fired central heating with radiators; double-glazed windows     wireless broadband internet no pets; no smoking	courtyard   living room       kitchen / dining room   bedroom   study   bathroom

And if anyone knows of someone in Berlin who would like to exchange accommodation with us July 2010 – June 2011, please email us!

	Accommodation, facilities, and equipment
Living room size 12' x 12' (4m x 4m) approx. comfortable settee sideboard; 3 bookcases; coffee table storage chest which is also a seat cordless phone; flat-screen TV (not satellite) digital TV recorder; DVD player wireless broadband internet, serving the whole house gas fire; radiator; wood-effect flooring	Dining room size 8' x 8' (2.4m x 2.4m) approx. dining table; sideboard dresser with crockery, glassware, cutlery bread making machine; toaster; coffee grinder cordless phone; digital radio radiator; real slate flooring	Kitchen size 8' x 7' (2.4m x 2.2m) approx. dresser; food processor island unit with gas hob fridge with small freezer; washer/dryer combination microwave/grill/oven deep sink with draining boards good selection of cooking utensils electric kettle; rice cooker; digital radio real slate flooring
Staircase and landing gas boiler supplying hot water and central heating carpet Bathroom Full-size bath with shower over wash basin; lavatory storage box for towels, etc. digital radio; heated towel rail; carpet tiles	Study size 8' x 6' (2.4m x 1.8m) approx. large desk with cupboards and drawers 2 bookcases; desktop fan space for a double bed for occasional visitors radiator; carpet tiles; rug	Bedroom size 15' x 12' (5m x 4m) approx. triple wardrobe; large double bed 2 small chests of drawers study area with shelving and computer desk cordless phone; small TV; fan 2 spare single mattresses radiator; carpet; rug