Description
Hopton's Almshouses were founded by Charles Hopton, who had died in 1730 leaving a large sum in his will, made 5 days before his death. The interest was payable to his sister, upon whose death 9 years later, the residue of Hopton's estate paid for the erection of 26 almshouses for 'poor decayed men' of the parish of Christ Church in Southwark. In 1825 2 extra almshouses were added. The buildings are a group of delightful two-storey cottages of London stock brick with stone quoins. They almost enclose two simple garden squares, the first larger than the second, both have grass in the centre and are planted with roses and shrubs around the edge. They are a rare example of this genre of building and garden square in this area of London. Outside the gates is a Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough. The almshouses were later rebuilt and modernised, re-opening in 1988, and they remain in use for housing owned by Anchor Trust.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Hopton's Almshouses |
|---|---|
| Site location | 61 Hopton Street |
| Postcode | SE1 9JJ |
| What3Words | ///trucks.flies.blast |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Southwark |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private - visible from street |
| Public Transport | Rail: Waterloo. Tube: Waterloo (Northern, Waterloo and City, Jubilee, Bakerloo), Blackfriars (District, Circle), Southwark (Jubilee). Bus: 45, 63, 381. |
| Research Updated | 1 October 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Charles Hopton was a member of the Fishmongers Guild, and his almshouses were founded for '26 (poor decayed) men endowed with house, a chaldron of coals and ten pounds in money each'. The total expenditure on the almshouses and grounds was about £2,700 but 'owing to a litigation it was not until 1752 [that] 26 poor men were placed in the apartments'. The site in Hopton Street, which lies between Blackfriars Bridge and the river, was described at the time as 'the cheapest, best and most convenient piece of ground that could be had for the building'. The almshouses were erected in 1746-9, designed by Mr Batterson, a trustee of Charles Hopton's will and a builder. Over the doorway to the committee room is a foundation tablet inscribed 'Chas. Hopton Esq sole founder of this Charity Anno 1752'.
The almshouses opened in 1752 and the residents were also granted £6 per year and 32 bushels of coal. Early residents reflected the parish industries and included gardeners, watermen and fishermen. The almshouse rules prohibited 'resorting to alehouses', using 'railing, bitter or uncharitable speech' and swearing. According to the almshouse records, the gatekeeper was instructed to make a weekly report of the conduct of the residents. The first gas light was installed on the green by Phoenix Gas Light Company in 1830 and in 1835 paths inside the estate and pavement were re-laid with York paving and new front gates and railings were added. Behind the almshouses were 28 garden plots and a drying ground. During WWII Nos.1 and 2 and Nos.27 and 28 were demolished by enemy action in 1941. After the war the buildings were restored and by 1962 all the accommodation was re-occupied. The almshouses were modernised in 1988.
Today the front garden comprises two squares of lawn with formal straight paths around the edge and down the middle of the larger square, with flower beds on the edges of the lawns. At the rear of Nos. 1-6 are 5 private gardens, with an informal communal garden with a pond and greenhouse at the rear of the rest of the development. The garden has been awarded Certificates of Excellence by the London Gardens Society under the Large Community Garden category in 1992 and 2004. Among the trees are 2 mulberry trees at the rear of No.14, a fig tree at the north-west corner and another at the edge of the eastern boundary, a Magnolia Grandiflora and a magnolia liliflora nigra in the north-eastern corner.
The almshouses opened in 1752 and the residents were also granted £6 per year and 32 bushels of coal. Early residents reflected the parish industries and included gardeners, watermen and fishermen. The almshouse rules prohibited 'resorting to alehouses', using 'railing, bitter or uncharitable speech' and swearing. According to the almshouse records, the gatekeeper was instructed to make a weekly report of the conduct of the residents. The first gas light was installed on the green by Phoenix Gas Light Company in 1830 and in 1835 paths inside the estate and pavement were re-laid with York paving and new front gates and railings were added. Behind the almshouses were 28 garden plots and a drying ground. During WWII Nos.1 and 2 and Nos.27 and 28 were demolished by enemy action in 1941. After the war the buildings were restored and by 1962 all the accommodation was re-occupied. The almshouses were modernised in 1988.
Today the front garden comprises two squares of lawn with formal straight paths around the edge and down the middle of the larger square, with flower beds on the edges of the lawns. At the rear of Nos. 1-6 are 5 private gardens, with an informal communal garden with a pond and greenhouse at the rear of the rest of the development. The garden has been awarded Certificates of Excellence by the London Gardens Society under the Large Community Garden category in 1992 and 2004. Among the trees are 2 mulberry trees at the rear of No.14, a fig tree at the north-west corner and another at the edge of the eastern boundary, a Magnolia Grandiflora and a magnolia liliflora nigra in the north-eastern corner.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ318803 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Anchor Trust |
| Dates | 1752 |
| Listed Structures | LBII*: Almshouses (1-9, 10 and 11, 12-21). LBII: Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough |
| 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 | Southwark |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Yes? Fig tree proposed for listing |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Archaeological Priority Zone |
| Other LA Designation | Regeneration Area |
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
Christ Church Garden is the former churchyard of Christ Church built here in 1671, which was rebuilt in the C18th and added to in the 1890s but destroyed by bombing in WWII. The current church dates from 1960. The churchyard was enlarged a number of times but closed to burial in 1856. It was converted into a public garden by the MPGA and opened in 1900. A drinking fountain was donated by John Passmore Edwards. When the church was bombed, the cross fell into the churchyard scorching the ground, its position now marked by a stone cross in the grass. The garden was redesigned in 2000.
The Queen's Walk is part of the Thames Riverside Walk, a promenade that runs from Westminster Bridge on the south bank of the river towards Blackfriars Bridge and beyond towards the Millennium Bridge opposite St Paul's. An area of landscaping was initially laid out when County Hall was built in 1917, but in 1949 the riverside walk was extended as a promenade for the 1951 Festival of Britain and retained as public open space when the Festival ended, opening in 1952. The riverside promenade now continues past the South Bank providing largely uninterrupted pedestrian access as far as Tower Bridge. The Queen's Walk is on the circular Jubilee Walkway that was opened in 1977 for the Queen's Silver Jubilee and later re-launched in 2002 in celebration of her Golden Jubilee
Nelson Square Gardens was originally for the use of residents of Nelson Square. In 1903 the owner, Viscount Halifax, gave the site to the LCC and it was laid out as a rectangular playground, with flower bed in the centre and shrub and privet hedge around the perimeter. It opened to the public in February 1904. There was formerly a bandstand and ornamental drinking fountain presented by the MPGA. The garden has 6 mature plane trees but is now mainly laid out as a tarmac playground, alongside which is a small rose garden with ornamental planting.