Description
Hickey's Almshouses were designed by architect Louis Vulliamy, a range of neo-Tudor style buildings with very high chimneys. At the front is a porter's lodge, built 1850-3 and substantial railings form the boundary with Sheen Road. A plaque over the entrance records that the almshouses were built 'for ten poor men and ten poor women by the bounty of William Hickey Esq. who by his Will bequeathed certain Lands and Houses in Richmond in Trust for Charitable Purposes'. Hickey (d.1728) is buried in the churchyard of Richmond Parish Church of St Mary. The almshouses are set back behind a large garden of lawns with a few trees. A central path leads from the entrance gate and continues around the perimeter, with some flowers planted inside the lodge entrance.
Practical Information
| Site location | Sheen Road/Grena Road/St Mary's Grove, Richmond |
|---|---|
| Postcode | TW9 |
| What3Words | ///moons.courier.relax |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Richmond |
| Open to Public | Occasionally |
| Opening Times | private, visible from road. Has opened for London Open House and LGSW |
| Public Transport | Rail: North Sheen. Rail/London Overground/Tube (District): Richmond then bus. Bus: |
| Research Updated | 1 June 2009 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
When he died William Hickey left much property in Richmond, and by his will he not only provided for pensions of £4 per annum for 6 poor men and 10 poor women to be elected by his Trustees but also provided for payment to each of the almspeople at Bishop Duppa' Almshouses, which had been founded in 1661, of an additional pension of £1 per annum. A gift of Elizabeth Doughty was added to Hickey's Trust in 1822 and by 1832 the value of the charity enabled his Trustees to apply to buy a site and erect almshouses. Permission was granted and Hickey's almshouses were built on Sheen Road, comprising 20 homes, a chapel, nurses' lodge and porter's lodge. In 1851 four new almshouses were built on land belonging to the Trustees in Adelaide road. In 1972 an additional 12 one-bedroomed bungalows were built at the rear.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ188751 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Richmond Charities' Almshouses |
| Dates | 1834 |
| Designers | Buildings: Louis Vulliamy |
| Listed Structures | LBII*: William Hickey'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 | Richmond |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | St Matthias and Sheen Road |
| 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 Church Estate Almshouses were established in 1844 for men and women who were members of the C of E. The almshouses were built adjacent to Hickey's Almshouses, and residents were able to use hickey's Chapel. In 1968 two new blocks, each of 4 studio flats, were built on the bombed site of former tenanted property. The terrace of buildings face onto Sheen Road set back behind a garden with lawn, trees and flower borders. To the rear is a secret secluded garden created in the C21st, the work of one of the residents.
Pesthouse Common was part of the extensive common land in this area, its name suggesting a connection with a plague hospital. In 1785 King George III gave the parish certain parts of Pesthouse Common as compensation for shutting public rights of way up Love Lane when he was improving Richmond Park. Mature lime and horse chestnut trees border the site.
Houblon's Almshouses were founded in 1757 by Rebecca and Susanna Houblon, who vested the site for the almshouses and c.1 hectare of land at the rear, together with property in Harrow and Essex to endow the Almshouses. The walled almshouses were built in 1758, and are among the oldest to survive in Richmond. They comprise a range of three 2-storey blocks around 3 sides of a central garden. The pedimented entrance bay carries the inscription: 'These almshouses were erected and endowed by Mrs Rebecca and Mrs Susannah Houblon 1758'.