Description
Trinity Hospital or Almshouses were built in 1695 by the Corporation of Trinity House to house retired master mariners or their widows. The land was donated by Captain Henry Mudd of Ratcliffe. The almshouses formed two rows either side of a small oblong green, with a central chapel. The path layout remains little changed, although the green was once enclosed by a wooden palisade fence and there are now two rows of dwarf trees. The almshouses were purchased by the LCC in 1954 then transferred to Stepney Borough Council for rented accommodation and renamed Trinity Green.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Trinity Almshouses; Trinity Hospital |
|---|---|
| Site location | Mile End Road |
| Postcode | E1 |
| What3Words | ///fluid.curiosity.worked |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Tower Hamlets |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private |
| Public Transport | Tube: Whitechapel (District, Hammersmith & City) |
| Research Updated | 1 September 2011 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Trinity Green was formerly known as Trinity Hospital or Trinity Almshouses, which were built in 1695 by the Corporation of Trinity House, for the purpose of housing retired master mariners or their widows, described as '28 decayed Masters and Commanders of Ships or ye widows of such'. Trinity House, which controlled navigation around Britain, also had almshouses at Deptford. The land at Mile End was donated by Captain Henry Mudd of Ratcliffe and Captain Richard Maples also contributed financially; they are both commemorated in the stone cartouches either side of Trinity Green. The almshouses design is a conventional C17th U-shaped composition with two rows of almshouses either side of a small oblong green, with a central chapel with cupola; it was probably the work of William Ogbourne, a master carpenter who was knighted in 1727. A view of 1696 shows the green area enclosed by a wooden palisade fence. The path layout remains unchanged, although today the green is planted with two rows of dwarf trees. Trinity Green has Portland stone gate piers and metal screen to Mile End Road.
When Trinity Hospital was threatened with demolition in 1895/6 there was a successful public campaign to save it. The buildings were damaged in WWII and again threatened with demolition but saved by local campaigning. The LCC purchased them in 1954 and they were restored and used to house social workers. They were later transferred to Stepney Borough Council and converted to provide rented accommodation and re-named Trinity Green. The green and almshouses that were formerly north of the chapel were destroyed by bombing and are now a council estate. The chapel suffered most damage but the local council carried out restoration to the triangular pediment and roof, clock turret and bell-cupola and converted the interior for community use, which is now named the Trinity Centre. The building is occupied mainly by the Breakthrough Trust, a charity for deaf-hearing integration.
The bronze bust memorial to William Booth at the end of the gardens on a Portland stone pedestal was unveiled in December 1927 by John Scurr, Labour MP for Mile End 1923-31.
When Trinity Hospital was threatened with demolition in 1895/6 there was a successful public campaign to save it. The buildings were damaged in WWII and again threatened with demolition but saved by local campaigning. The LCC purchased them in 1954 and they were restored and used to house social workers. They were later transferred to Stepney Borough Council and converted to provide rented accommodation and re-named Trinity Green. The green and almshouses that were formerly north of the chapel were destroyed by bombing and are now a council estate. The chapel suffered most damage but the local council carried out restoration to the triangular pediment and roof, clock turret and bell-cupola and converted the interior for community use, which is now named the Trinity Centre. The building is occupied mainly by the Breakthrough Trust, a charity for deaf-hearing integration.
The bronze bust memorial to William Booth at the end of the gardens on a Portland stone pedestal was unveiled in December 1927 by John Scurr, Labour MP for Mile End 1923-31.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ350820 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Tower Hamlets |
| Dates | 1694-97 |
| Listed Structures | LBI: Trinity Green Almshouses and Chapel, Gates, Railings, Walls and Piers |
| 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 | Tower Hamlets |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Gallery
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
Together with Stepney Green Gardens and Stepney Green Park, Mile End Waste is a remnant of Mile End Green, later called Stepney Green. It was the largest of several commons in the Manor of Stepney, which extended from St Dunstan's Church to Whitechapel, and was the site of historic events, including the Peasants Revolt. In 1910-12 Stepney Borough Council planted 2 long rows of plane trees on a strip of land along Mile End Road, laid out roadside gardens and erected commemorative statues for Edward VII and William Booth. In 1865 Booth had held services in the open air on Mile End Waste, before processing to a second site on the old Quaker Burial Ground, now part of Vallance Recreation Ground.
This is the former burial ground of St Bartholomew's Church, which following its closure was re-ordered as a public garden by the MPGA. It opened to the public in 1885 and apart from one memorial there is no evidence of its former use. The garden was extended in the south in the 1970s. The church, built in 1843-4, was damaged in WWII and later restored; it was converted into flats in the 1990s.
Brady Street Cemetery opened in 1761 as the New Synagogue Burial Ground on land that was originally a brickfield. It was extended in 1795 and became the New Synagogue and the Great Synagogue Burial Ground. When the burial ground was full a portion was raised in order to create space for more burials. It eventually closed to burials in 1858, although in 1990 Nathaniel, 3rd Lord Rothschild was buried here. There are numerous monuments including those of prominent Jewish people, and the cemetery has numerous mature trees.
