Description
The London Master Bakers' Pension and Almshouse Society was founded in 1832. The foundation stone for the new almshouses in Leyton was laid on 5 August 1857. At that time the surrounding area was a small village with a few smart villas belonging to London merchants. The almshouses were designed for the London Master Bakers Benevolent Institution by T E Knightleys, a large 3-sided building around a landscaped courtyard. Described as 'one of the grand almshouses of north-east London', the building has a number of plaques recording that electric light was brought to the almshouses in 1924 and that gas was installed in 1939. The almshouses remain in residential use and are now Council housing.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | London Master Bakers Benevolent Institution |
|---|---|
| Site location | 551 Lea Bridge Road, Leyton |
| Postcode | E10 |
| What3Words | ///asserts.exile.salads |
| Type of Site | Institutional Grounds |
| Borough | Waltham Forest |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private |
| Public Transport | Rail/Tube (Victoria): Walthamstow Central. London Overground: Leyton Midland Road. Bus: 20, 48, 55, 56, 69, 97, 230, 257, W15, W16. |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2012 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ376880 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | private |
| Dates | 1857 |
| Designers | T E Knightleys |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Bakers' Almshouses, 2 K-6 type telephone kiosks outside Almshouses |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Waltham Forest |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
Leyton Green is all that remains of the old village green. It is a largely grassed area with some trees, planted with spring bulbs; in c.2003 it was re-landscaped and provided with railings and seating.
Thomas Gamuel Park is a small park largely set out with playgrounds and sports areas, but with an area of undulating landscaping with shrubs and winding paths. It was redesigned in the 1990s.
Knotts Green was a hamlet along the route between Snaresbrook and Leyton, previously called Low Leyton. The area was rural until it was developed in the C20th. The Green has long remained public open space and today, somewhat encroached, it consists of a strip of grass and some trees. A former resident of the hamlet in the 1880s was Mr Gurney Barclay whose gardens and grounds here were admired and were famous for the observatory he built.