Description
Victoria Homes are 6 single-storey almshouses dating from 1897. They face onto a strip of garden, which has mature trees including pollarded limes, cherry, almond and robinia, and a tall bay; it is laid out with mown grass, perennial flowers, privet hedging and paths.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Victoria Homes for the Aged |
|---|---|
| Site location | 54-64 Bourne Road |
| Postcode | DA5 1LU |
| What3Words | ///cans.hits.spent |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Bexley |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private |
| Public Transport | Rail: Bexley, then bus. Bus: B12, 132, 229, 492 |
| Research Updated | 1 June 2015 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Victoria Homes are 6 single-storey almshouses in yellow brick with red brick trim and terracotta ornament, with central and end pavilions linked by wings. The houses have slate roofs with decorated ridge tiles and terracotta crests. The garden has mature trees including 3 pollarded limes (1 dead), a cherry, almond and robinia, and a tall bay; it is laid out with mown grass, perennial flowers, privet hedging and straight paths, with 2 crazy-paved concrete paths. It is bounded by a 7ft red-brick wall to the west and part of the north, with a low wall to the road on the east that shows remains of iron railing, also found to the north. There are two terracotta triangles showing the date 1897 and a Portland stone plaque that has the following inscription 'This stone was laid by Sir Robert Hargreaves Rogers of Marl House, Bexley, Sheriff of the City of London Thursday 26th August 1897. Committee W V Hudson Chairman S. Cannon Treasurer L Bougnes, E Ford, J Lake, W.E. Lucas, J. Piggott, Rev J.A. Wicksteed, vicar T B Green Hon. Sec'.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ496738 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Victoria Homes Trust |
| Site Management | gardener visits fortnightly, sometimes weekly |
| Dates | 1897 |
| Listed Structures | Local list: Victoria Homes |
| 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 | Bexley |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| 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
Styleman Almshouses were built in 1755 under the will of John Styleman of Danson (d.1734), to provide for 12 poor families. There was a pump and well, and an oak fence was erected around the property and ground levelled behind the houses. In 1833 gravel was spread and in 1845 a quick hedge was planted. Originally the back gardens were divided into strips but at some point after 1908 they were all amalgamated into one. A summerhouse was built in 2005 in celebration of the Almshouses 250th anniversary.
A church in 'Bixle' was recorded at the time of the Domesday Survey, but there may have been an earlier Saxon church. Major restoration was undertaken to St Mary's Church in 1883 with the intention of reproducing its C15th appearance, at which time more trees and shrubs were planted in the churchyard. The lych-gate, originally at the main entrance, was moved to its current position and replaced by an elaborate entrance in 1891. The churchyard has over 200 memorials dating from the C17th, C18th and C19th. The detached walled Burial Ground, sometimes called the cemetery, was enclosed from farmland in 1857 then on the edge of the village of Bexley.
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Hall Place is an early Tudor mansion built near the River Cray for Sir John Champney, Lord Mayor of London. The house was enlarged over the years and passed through numerous owners, once used as a school. The house and grounds were opened to the public in 1952 and today have a number of formal garden areas, including an enclosed Elizabethan garden, rose garden, herb garden, rock garden, sunken garden, topiary lawn. The working nursery dates from the original walled kitchen garden for the house. The grounds also have open areas for sports and recreation.
Hall Place is an early Tudor mansion built near the River Cray for Sir John Champney, Lord Mayor of London. The house was enlarged over the years and passed through numerous owners, once used as a school. The house and grounds were opened to the public in 1952 and today have a number of formal garden areas, including an enclosed Elizabethan garden, rose garden, herb garden, rock garden, sunken garden, topiary lawn. The working nursery dates from the original walled kitchen garden for the house. The grounds also have open areas for sports and recreation.
