Description
Monoux Almshouses date from 1527 and were established by Sir George Monoux adjacent to St Mary Walthamstow, together with a school for boys. The almshouses have gardens at the front and back, although the boundary with the adjacent churchyard today is ill-defined.
Practical Information
| Site location | Church Lane, Church Hill Road, Walthamstow |
|---|---|
| Postcode | E17 9RL |
| What3Words | ///nail.excuse.hedge |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Waltham Forest |
| Open to Public | Partially |
| Opening Times | private but some access at front as boundary with churchyard is indistinct |
| Public Transport | Rail/Tube: Walthamstow Central (Victoria). Bus: W12 |
| Research Updated | 1 October 2005 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Sir George Monoux was a successful Bristol merchant who had come to London in 1502; in 1507 he built his house, ‘Moons', on a site now marked by Monoux Grove, off Billet Road. An MP and Master of the Drapers' Company, by 1514 he was Mayor of London. Monoux Almshouses consisting of 14 houses, together with a Grammar School for Boys were designed and built to Monoux's own specification on land he acquired on 16 June 1527 from the Prior and Vicar of St Mary Walthamstow (q.v.) so that he could build ‘houses for pore folks and the edification and building for a Schole master and a ffree scole'. After his death Monoux had provided for the maintenance of the almshouses and school in perpetuity out of the proceeds of his estate; however the trustees shirked their duties and the building fell into disrepair. In 1782 Walthamstow Parish took over the charities and the building was thereafter maintained. Part of Monoux Almshouses were destroyed in an air raid on 8 October 1940 and the west end was rebuilt in 1955. Walthamstow Almshouse and General Charities have owned the almshouses since 1957 and in 1995 substantial restoration was undertaken to the interior while preserving the Tudor exterior. They are now private dwellings.
The surrounding garden has informal lawns and borders both front and back, although a C19th plan indicates that residents were once responsible for their own gardens as the plots are shown divided equally between the houses with the privy at the end of the plot. There is no evidence of the old plots today. Prior to 1940 photographs show a row of pollarded trees at the front, which were probably cut down when rebuilding took place. Today there is a recently-laid brick path and patio with the rest mostly grassed over; the brick paved path runs along the whole front of the almshouses. The boundary between the almshouses and the churchyard is now almost undefined as a stretch of grass combines the two areas although the boundary is clearer on maps and the gardens have mown grass while the graveyard is left unmown for wildlife. A magnolia was planted in the front garden in 1999 by trustee Jean Croxton. Although there are few trees in the garden, there are mature horse chestnuts, limes and a yew in the churchyard, and the vicarage at the back has mature trees, the boundary marked by a wooden larch lap fence. The enclosed back garden has two rowan trees planted in the lawn and commemorative benches.
The surrounding garden has informal lawns and borders both front and back, although a C19th plan indicates that residents were once responsible for their own gardens as the plots are shown divided equally between the houses with the privy at the end of the plot. There is no evidence of the old plots today. Prior to 1940 photographs show a row of pollarded trees at the front, which were probably cut down when rebuilding took place. Today there is a recently-laid brick path and patio with the rest mostly grassed over; the brick paved path runs along the whole front of the almshouses. The boundary between the almshouses and the churchyard is now almost undefined as a stretch of grass combines the two areas although the boundary is clearer on maps and the gardens have mown grass while the graveyard is left unmown for wildlife. A magnolia was planted in the front garden in 1999 by trustee Jean Croxton. Although there are few trees in the garden, there are mature horse chestnuts, limes and a yew in the churchyard, and the vicarage at the back has mature trees, the boundary marked by a wooden larch lap fence. The enclosed back garden has two rowan trees planted in the lawn and commemorative benches.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ378892 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 1.464 |
| Site Ownership | Walthamstow Almshouses and General Charities |
| Site Management | Walthamstow Almshouses and General Charities |
| Dates | 1527 |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Monoux 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 | Waltham Forest |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Walthamstow Village |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Local Importance |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
The first church of St Mary Walthamstow was founded in the early C12th on the site of an older church. The current building is largely C16th with later alterations. The timber-framed Ancient House near the church probably stands on the site of the original Manor of Walthamstow. The churchyard contains numerous interesting graves and four listed tombs, and is divided into four railed and enclosed areas with public access to only two; it is bisected by paths which are in frequent public use. There are some 1300 visible monuments in and around the church, and it is thought that over 26,000 burials took place here.
Squires Almshouses were founded in 1795 by Mrs Mary Squires to accommodate six widows of Walthamstow residents. The simple garden has mature trees, shrubs with mixed shrubs and perennials in a long bed at the front. The area at the back retains the original idea of private gardens.
Vestry House was built in 1730 to provide a workhouse and rooms for Vestry meetings. The site together with the small area of green in front is a remnant of Church Common. The workhouse expanded over the years but after 1840 Walthamstow paupers were moved to the new Union Workhouse and Vestry House was used by a number of other bodies. The oldest part became headquarters of the Walthamstow Literary and Scientific Institute, and then a private house. After its acquisition by Walthamstow Borough Council it opened in 1931 as a Museum of Local History and Antiquities. The garden originally stretched as far as Church Path but cottages were built on part of it in 1840 and the railway further encroached in the 1860s, although a piece of land was added in compensation for this. The workhouse garden was originally used for growing fruit and vegetables, and later became a display area for the Museum. Following a restoration programme it has been recreated in the style of an C18th workhouse kitchen garden.
