There have been almshouses in England for almost a thousand years. Today there are some 1600 separate almshouses in existence which continue to play a crucial role in providing accommodation for people of retirement age throughout the United Kingdom. King Charles III is Patron of the National Association of Almshouses.
The Sevenoaks Almshouses came into existence in the early fifteenth century. They were established by William Sevenoke, who served as Mayor of London in 1418. Sevenoke is believed to have been a foundling, discovered in the town of Sevenoaks in the late 1300s. He was an Alderman, Warden of the Grocers Livery Company and MP. for London.
“We are the oldest charity in Sevenoaks having been in existence for almost 600 years and we are proud to continue serving the community today.”
Mike Bolton, Chair of Trustees
On his death in 1432, Sevenoke left money to establish a grammar school and almshouses for 20 men and woman ‘in greatest want’. The original almshouses were replaced in 1732 by the present building now known as Sevenoaks Place, which was based upon designs by the Earl of Burlington. It is considered of historic importance and is Grade II* listed.
Over the centuries considerable changes have been made, including reducing the number of residents to 16 so that accommodation could be increased. An extensive refurbishment programme took place during the 1990s, when the Burlington Room was built, and further modernisation has taken place since 2007, including the installation of new bathrooms and kitchens.
The cottages in the Weald were given to the charity in 1832 by Multon Lambarde, a local landowner and JP, whose ancestor William Lambarde had brought the Sevenoaks almshouses to the attention of the general public in his work A Perambulation of Kent in 1576. The cottages adjoined Lambarde’s property at Panthurst Farm, and he intended them as accommodation for out-pensioners prior to their moving to fill a vacancy arising in the Sevenoaks almshouses. Lambarde Cottages flank the old village school house (privately owned), and like Sevenoaks Place, have been refurbished in recent years.
