Welcome

Newbury Church and Almshouse Charity has been providing homes for local people in need for many years. Today, we manage 27 almshouse properties and provide some resources for the maintenance of St Nicolas’ Church, Newbury, Berkshire.

Our homes are at two locations in the town (Newtown Road and Harvest Green) and close to amenities as well as other almshouses and sheltered housing schemes.

History

Many years ago there were twelve almshouses situated near St Nicolas Church. About the year 1797 these almshouses were pulled down and twelve almshouses belonging to the Raymond Charity were hired to accommodate the almshouse people. In 1822 John Childs, a wealthy sail-cloth manufacturer endowed three almshouses in Northcroft Lane for “deserving people”. (Later these were designated as housing for “poor men who were parishioners of the Church of England”.)

In 1879 the present almshouses in Newtown Road were completed to replace the almshouses on both previous sites, and became known as the Church and Childs Almshouses.

In 1984 a field belonging to the Church Estates Charity, used as allotments, was sold for housing, with the proviso that twelve almshouses would be built within the development, now known as Harvest Green.

The various charities associated with the almshouses and the Church Estates Charity were replaced in 1990 by the Newbury Church and Almshouse Charity.

All but one are one-bedroom properties with private amenities. Applicants who are offered an almshouse are beneficiaries of the charity, and will be asked to sign a residency agreement and provide a deposit and references before taking up residence.