Description
In 1657 what is now East Acton had been inherited by the Goldsmiths' Company under the will of John Perryn, an alderman and goldsmith residing in Acton. The Goldsmiths' Almshouses were erected under a benefaction of the Perryn Trust in 1811 to designs by Charles Beazley, initially 12 almshouses, with 8 added in 1838. The forecourt gardens are laid out simply with lawn and shrubs, and originally had two Lebanon cedars, one of which has since died. Behind the Almshouses is a walled garden and allotment garden with service yard, with two old water pumps and a chapel.
Practical Information
| Site location | East Churchfield Road, Acton |
|---|---|
| Postcode | W3 |
| What3Words | ///media.fakes.ready |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Ealing |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private (visible from East Churchfield Road) |
| Public Transport | London Overground: Acton Central. Bus: 70. |
| Research Updated | 1 March 2003 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
John Perryn left freehold properties to the Goldsmiths' Company and copyholds to individual goldsmiths to be held in trust for the Company. A scheme was drawn up by the Goldsmiths' Company in 1808 to provide almshouses on its land and the site in Acton was chosen in 1810. Initially 12 neo-classical almshouses were built in 1811 to designs by Charles Beazley (c.1760-1829). An additional 8 almshouses were built in 1838. Those able to reside here were chosen from the oldest people on the Settled Pension List. They were given £100 a year in addition to their pension, together with 1.5 or 2 cauldrons of coal, and on the annual visit of the Wardens each resident was given £1. There were strict rules that included attending church twice each Sunday, and the main room was later converted into a chapel.
The forecourt gardens facing onto Churchfield Road are laid out simply with lawn and shrubs, and originally had two Lebanon cedars, one of which has since died. The road frontage has fine railings with spear finials on a low brick wall with a central pair of gates. Behind the Almshouses is a walled garden and allotment garden with service yard, with two old water pumps and a chapel, now stripped of furnishings. The exceptionally high steps to the small lodges either side of the Almshouses on Churchfield Road were apparently a deterrent to intruders whose stumbling would lead to their discovery.
In Acton Park (q.v.), once part of the Goldsmiths' Estate, a number of the mature trees which pre-date the municipal layout may have been planted by the Company to ornament the view across the level land from the Almshouses.
The forecourt gardens facing onto Churchfield Road are laid out simply with lawn and shrubs, and originally had two Lebanon cedars, one of which has since died. The road frontage has fine railings with spear finials on a low brick wall with a central pair of gates. Behind the Almshouses is a walled garden and allotment garden with service yard, with two old water pumps and a chapel, now stripped of furnishings. The exceptionally high steps to the small lodges either side of the Almshouses on Churchfield Road were apparently a deterrent to intruders whose stumbling would lead to their discovery.
In Acton Park (q.v.), once part of the Goldsmiths' Estate, a number of the mature trees which pre-date the municipal layout may have been planted by the Company to ornament the view across the level land from the Almshouses.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ209804 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Ealing |
| Dates | 1811 |
| Listed Structures | LBII*: Almshouses (? and railings) |
| 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 | Ealing |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Acton Park |
| Tree Preservation Order | Yes |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Green Corridor (Churchfield Road) |
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
In medieval times this was commonland. The southern part was used for brick-earth extraction in the 1870s, and there was a market garden in the south-east. In 1886 Acton Local Board began to purchase land for a public park from various owners, including the Goldsmiths' Company whose almshouses overlook the park. It was opened to the public in 1888 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. It was laid out with radiating avenues of mature trees enclosing large grassed open spaces, with a sunken garden of rhododendrons and shrubs. Some of the trees may predate the municipal planting. By the early C20th there was a bandstand, now a circular flower bed, and other facilities were added, including the bowling green and cafe. In the early C21st a new community garden was created.
St Mary's Burial Ground was established here in 1863 on 1 acre of land that was purchased by the Acton Vestry to provide additional burial land for the parish church of St Mary. The land had been part of a field called Conduit Close that had a number of springs, providing the village with water. By 1929 the cemetery was almost full. In 1979 it converted into a public garden laid out with a paved area, raised planters and seating along the Churchfield Road boundary. It was partly cleared, with headstones largely set against the perimeter walls although some remain scattered among the grass.
Acton was part of the Manor of Fulham at the time of the Domesday Survey and a church had stood at the old centre of the village from at least 1228. An important stop on the London to Oxford coaching road, Acton developed into a market town and was later popular as a rural retreat. A larger parish church was erected in 1837 to serve the growing population, reconstructed in 1865-67. St Mary's Churchyard served as the main parish burial ground until 1863 when Churchfield Road Burial Ground was opened as a relief ground. It was used for burials under family rights until the 1920s, and contains some interesting monuments. In front of the church what was once the village green is now a pedestrian precinct.