Description
Bertie Almshouses were built in 1890 in Arts and Crafts style, at the behest of Mrs Mary Elizabeth Akers of Malling Abbey in memory of her husband Bertie Peter Cator. The small sheltered garden has mature trees, shrubs and back garden now divided in two. A plaque in the porch has the inscription 'AD VSVM PAVPERVM DEI IN MEMORIAM BERTII ET DIANAE MDCCCXC'.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Cator Almshouses |
|---|---|
| Site location | 31, 31A, 33 Bromley Road, Beckenham |
| Postcode | BR3 5NT |
| What3Words | ///moving.comical.shell |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Bromley |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private |
| Public Transport | Rail: Beckenham Junction. Bus: 227, 367 |
| Research Updated | 1 January 2006 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Bertie Almshouses were built in 1890 in Arts and Crafts style, possibly designed by J D Sedding, who exhibited a drawing 'Almshouses Beckenham' at the Royal Academy in 1891, and who lived in West Wickham for a few years. They were built at the behest of Mrs Mary Elizabeth Akers of Malling Abbey in memory of her husband Bertie Peter Cator (c.1836-1875), whose family were prominent Beckenham gentry, Cator was the seventh son of Joseph and Diana Bertie of Clock House. A plaque in the porch has the inscription 'AD VSVM PAVPERVM DEI IN MEMORIAM BERTII ET DIANAE MDCCCXC'. The almshouses were originally owned by her estate and then taken over by London Borough of Bromley, and finally, after reconstruction, by the Beckenham Parochial Charities. They were originally two houses, but were converted horizontally into three flats with 2 downstairs and 1 upstairs. The small sheltered garden has mature trees including ash, holly, small cypressas, prunus cerasifera 'nigra' in the front, shrubs in front and back gardens and 2 box-cut privet hedges and a box hedge in front. The back garden is divided by a wooden fence into two for the downstairs flats. A commemorative bench was placed between the two front doors in the porch in 1982.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ380694 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Beckenham Parochial Charities |
| Site Management | Beckenham Parochial Charities |
| Dates | 1890 |
| Listed Structures | Local list: 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 | Bromley |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | 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
The Rawlins Almshouses are modest one-storey red brick almshouses that were erected in 1694 under the will of Anthony Rawlins. Over the centre doorway is a tablet inscribed 'Anthony Rawlins Esq built these Houses for ye poor of this Parish of Beckenham Anno. Dom. 1694'. They were largely rebuilt in 1881 and continue to provide for widows who have lived for at least three years in the area of the former Beckenham UDC. The almshouses have small front and back gardens.
The parish of St George Beckenham was previously in Kent. Although a church on the site was not recorded until 1070, there was probably a church here in some form in Saxon times. The current church dates from 1885-7, built when a larger church was needed for the growing parish. A good collection of monuments from the old church remains including those of the C16th; among C18th memorials are those for prominent local dignitaries. The tree-filled churchyard, which has a restored C13th lych gate, was extended to the east between 1871-1894.
A municipal park that opened in 1913, featuring lakes and watercourses, Kelsey Park has much earlier origins. Elaborate formal gardens including a lake are recorded on John Roque’s plan of 1741-45. The park is named after the Kelsey family who owned the estate in the C15th. The last house to occupy the site was built in the late C18th at which time the estate belonged to the Burrell family. In the C19th the estate was held by the Hoare banking family until 1908.