Description
The almshouses were built at the behest of the brewer John Farnell, owner of Isleworth Brewery, who also contributed funds towards building the adjacent church of St John the Baptist, vicarage and school, to serve the needs of the rapidly growing population of Isleworth. The site was provided by the Duke of Northumberland, and the architect for the church, John Deason, probably designed the almshouses. Farnell's Almshouses accommodated six men and six women in picturesque one-storey buildings ranged on three sides around a central garden. It is entered through a stone gateway, that has a plaque commemorating John Farnell. A bust of Farnell on a stone plinth is also found within a small pavilion in the garden.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Farnells Court Almshouses |
|---|---|
| Site location | St John's Road, Isleworth |
| Postcode | TW7 6PA |
| What3Words | ///shock.beams.arrow |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Hounslow |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | Private for residents only |
| Public Transport | Rail: Isleworth. Bus: H37, 117. |
| Research Updated | 1 January 2018 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Farnell's Almshouses were founded by John Farnell under a deed of gift dated 3 December 1859, augmented by gifts of William Thomas Farnell by a deed of 12 September 1865 and of Frances Susan Seager by will dated 25 June 1884. Farnell's and other small almshouse and distributive charities are within Isleworth and Hounslow Charity Ltd, which began life over 350 years ago as the Isleworth Parochial Charities administered by All Saints' Isleworth (q.v.), to help people of limited means in Isleworth and Hounslow. The charity's aims today are to provide help to residents of the borough of Hounslow who are in need, hardship or distress. Farnell's Almshouses were modernised in 1998, and the 13 bed-sitters are now leased to Notting Hill Housing Trust for people with mental health needs.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ156761 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Isleworth and Hounslow Charity Ltd., leased to Notting Hill Housing Trust until 2028 |
| Site Management | Isleworth and Hounslow Charity Ltd |
| Dates | 1858 |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Farnell's 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 | Hounslow |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Area of Special Character |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
St John the Baptist Church was built in 1856, when Isleworth's growing population had outgrown the parish church of All Saints. The site and the sum of £2,000 were donated by the Duke of Northumberland, the balance raised by local benefactors such as the Glossop and Farnell families. The adjacent day school, vicarage and almshouses were built at the behest of the brewer John Farnell, the school of 1858 now converted for private residence. The church is surrounded by a simple garden, with a number of trees.
Silverhall Park is on part of the former Silver Hall estate. The name appears to have been used for the estate from the mid-C18th after its owner Mrs Oliver, nee Silver. The house was demolished in the early C19th and the estate sold piecemeal. A new house was built in 1813 on a site now occupied by the park. From 1880 - 1908 Silver Hall was occupied by Carmelite nuns who had moved here from Fulham Carmel. It was later a school but by the 1940s the house was derelict and it was demolished in the 1950s. Gates on North Street and the remains of the ice house are all that are left. A section of the C16th Duke of Northumberland's River runs through the park
The park is on land once a gravel pit and formerly part of the grounds of Redlees House. Around 5.8 hectares were acquired by Heston & Isleworth UDC and Redlees Park was officially opened in July 1932, on the same day two other local recreation grounds, Beaversfield and Heston Parks. In October it was one of the parks used as a venue for the Heston & Isleworth Charter Celebrations. Its original facilities included a children's playground, football pitches, a cricket table, bowling green, grass and hard tennis courts and an 18-hole putting green, and other facilities were planned when money was available.