Description
The Metropolitan Benefit Societies' Almshouses are the last remaining almshouses of five foundations that were established in Balls Pond Road and King Henry's Walk in the early C19th. It was originally founded as the Metropolitan Benefit Societies' Asylum in 1829 although it was not until 1836 that the first stone of the north block was laid by the Lord Mayor of London. East and west wings were added c.1865/6 and the buildings form three sides of the garden quadrangle, laid out with grass, with a number of trees and roses.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Metropolitan Benefit Societies' Asylum |
|---|---|
| Site location | Balls Pond Road |
| Postcode | N1 |
| What3Words | ///flops.bells.slap |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Islington |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private |
| Public Transport | London Overground: Dalston Kingsland, Dalston Junction. Bus: 30, 38, 56, 277, 141 |
| Research Updated | 1 June 2013 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Originally known as the Metropolitan Benefit Societies' Asylum, this is the last remaining almshouse garden of the five foundations that were established in Balls Pond Road and King Henry's Walk in the early C19th. The Metropolitan Benefit Societies' Asylum was founded by John Christopher Bowles in 1829 although it was not until some years later that the first stone was laid by the Lord Mayor of London, the Rt Hon William Taylor Copeland MP on 17 August 1836, which was the birthday of its patroness, the Duchess of Kent. The 2-storey Tudor -style north block of 1836 was designed by S H Ridley, and the east and west wings were added c.1865-6. The buildings are on three sides of a large quadrangle, the west wing named after Mary Ann Mackenzie (d.1861) who left £9,000 to the charity. The central meeting hall, formerly the chapel, was rebuilt in 1931 and has in recent years been used by a Pentecostal church choir.
The garden consists of a grassed court, with trees and roses, and an oval tarmaced carriage sweep with dwarf coped and stuccoed walls. The square brick coped gate piers have in recent years been rebuilt and have Gothic pattern cast iron railings.
The garden consists of a grassed court, with trees and roses, and an oval tarmaced carriage sweep with dwarf coped and stuccoed walls. The square brick coped gate piers have in recent years been rebuilt and have Gothic pattern cast iron railings.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ331848 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Anchor Trust |
| Site Management | Anchor Trust |
| Dates | 1836 |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Metropolitan Benefit Societies Almshouses and attached railings to Balls Pond Road boundary |
| 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 | Islington |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Shopping Policy 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
King Henry’s Walk Garden is a volunteer-run community garden that opened in 2007, established on a plot of derelict land. Its name derives from King Henry VIII, who reportedly owned two houses and a hunting lodge nearby at Newington Green. In 1857 Thomas Docwra built premises here for his business, Docwra & Son, a successful well-borer contractor for waterworks companies; the name Docwras Buildings is still found on maps. In 1952 the land was acquired by Islington Council but left derelict as a rubble-strewn bomb site, as a result of which it became a rare piece of self-seeded woodland in Islington, now known as Docwras Buildings Wood. KHWG provides allotment plots for Islington residents to grow vegetables and flowers.
The Jewish Burial Ground was opened by the Reform Synagogue, who broke away from the Bevis Marks Sephardic cemetery. The first recorded burial was in 1843 and it was in use until 1951. Enclosed by high brick walls, the burial ground has numerous regularly arranged tombstones set in grass with plane trees along the Kingsbury Road and south boundaries. Among those buried here are many prominent members of the Jewish community such as the de Stern, Goldsmid and Mocatta families.
Dalston Eastern Curve Garden is on the site of disused railway lands, no longer required after improvement works were made at Dalston Junction. In 2009 it was used as a site for a temporary art installation in conjunction with the Barbican Art Gallery. In 2010 the garden was created through a partnership project commissioned by Design for London, 'Making Space in Dalston' in which Hackney Council, local residents and groups worked with muf architect/art and J & L Gibbons Landscape Architects. It was planted with wildlife friendly trees and shrubs, Since 2012 the garden has been managed as a social enterprise, with a café, education programme and community events.
