271-275 Upton Lane, Forest Gate, E7 9PR

A decade after the Meggs' Almshouses in Whitechapel Road were demolished, new almshouses were built by the Whitechapel parish in Forest Gate in 1893. The site had been chosen by the Rector and Churchwarden of Whitechapel, who were trustees of the charity established by Williams Meggs.

Current status

The almshouses remain in use as retirement housing. Applicants must be residents of either Newham or Tower Hamlets. The almshouses are the property of the Meggs Almshouse Charity.

N.B. Photographs obtained in October 2020

Meggs Almshouses

The block of three houses contains 12 self-contained one-bedroom apartments (above and below).

Meggs Almshouses

Above the central doorway are mounted the arms of the Meggs family and the memorial stone.

Meggs Almshouses

The arms and a brass plate are set into the central gable.

Meggs Almshouses

The memorial stone is barely legible. On the left it reads: The original almshouses under the will of Williams Meggs Esq were erected in the Whitechapel Road in the year 1658. On the right: The memorial stone of this building was laid by Mrs Sanders wife of the Rector on the 20th day of July 1893 (remainder unreadable).