Description
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'.
Practical Information
| Site location | Worple Way |
|---|---|
| Postcode | TW10 |
| What3Words | ///rash.risen.deck |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Richmond |
| Open to Public | Occasionally |
| Opening Times | Has opened for London Open Gardens. Otherwise private, for residents only |
| Public Transport | Rail/London Overground/Tube (District): Richmond then bus. Bus: 33, 337, 371, 493 |
| Research Updated | 1 June 2009 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Rebecca and Susanna Houblon lived in a mansion on Richmond Hill, now Old Vicarage School, and were the unmarried daughters of Sir John Houblon, former Governor of the Bank of England. The family was probably descended from Huguenot refugees and the original stipulation was that residents of the almshouses should be Protestants. The rules governing the conduct of residents were extensive and fines were imposed for offences such as blasphemy, non-attendance at church, abusive or uncharitable language or blows, or 'tippling or drinking in any tavern, ale house or gin shop, or in any place where spirituous liquors are sold'.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ183749 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | The Richmond Charities' Almshouses |
| Site Management | contractor: Coombe Gardeners |
| Dates | 1757 |
| Listed Structures | LBII*: Houblon'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.
Vineyard Passage Burial Ground was created as an extension to the Richmond parish churchyard of St Mary Magdalene. It was consecrated in 1790 and later enlarged in 1823. It includes table tombs, sarcophagi, an obelisk and a large Grecian tomb of T. Cundy, 1825, the architect of Pimlico and his family. There are also monuments to members of the French émigré community who settled in Richmond in the 1790s. The graves line a footpath leading up to The Vineyard, with the vault arches visible in the brick wall alongside the path. The area to the east is grassed with fewer trees, a low wall to the boundary and some seats. It was recently restored with funds donated by the MPGA.
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.