A historical building will be demolished to allow for major roadworks to continue on a busy Cambridgeshire road.

Brook Cottages, which sit near the A1 north of the Black Cat Roundabout, are set to be "removed" by National Highways.

This is to allow work to continue on the A428 Black Cat.

The Cottages need to be demolished in order to build a new free flowing link between the A421 eastbound carriageway and the A1 northbound carriageway at the Black Cat Roundabout.

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National Highways took ownership of Brook Cottages in August 2023 have worked with Historic England and Bedford Borough Council to evaluate the historical significance and structural condition of the Cottages.

The survey found that the structural integrity of the building has deteriorated over a number of years, and as a whole, the Cottages are deemed to be of a low historic value.

However, there are still some items of heritage interest inside the Cottages. National Highways have ensured that they'll work with Historic England to safely remove and preserve these items.

They are as follows:

- A bread oven door

- Structural beams

- Two fireplace lintels

- Internal fixtures and fittings

Work has begun to remove these items and is expected to take four weeks to complete. The items are being transported to a safe location.

After that, demolition work will begin on Brook Cottages. A specialist team will begin the work by removing any hazardous materials, like asbestos.

The final part of the project will see machinery used to remove the thatched roof and dismantle the timber frame from top to bottom.

Once this is complete, work on the free flowing link will commence.