Worminghall, a village of nearly 600 people on the Buckinghamshire/Oxfordshire border, is home to almshouses founded in 1675 through the bequest of John King, Bishop of London, and his son Henry King, Bishop of Chichester.
Built in the shape of an “H” in Henry’s memory, Bishop King’s Almshouses, Worminghall share their birth year with the Royal Observatory at Greenwich and St Paul’s Cathedral, both of which kindly exchanged warm congratulations.
Originally for six men and four women, the Worminghall almshouses were refurbished in the 1960s into six self-contained houses.
Managed entirely by voluntary trustees, they marked their 350th anniversary on 29 June 2025, the feast of Sts Peter & Paul, with a garden party.
Trustee Grace Blackwell and the village social committee created a welcoming afternoon with book, plant, and bric-a-brac stalls, home-baked cakes, and tea. Wheatley Park School Soul Band played under a gazebo, while neighbours chatted in the sunshine.
The day raised funds for heating upgrades and restoration of the original boundary wall, but its real success was the sense of community.
Kindly sent in by Chris Craggs, Treasurer of Bishop King’s Almshouses, Worminghall
To learn more about these almshouses, please visit: The Almshouses – Worminghall Village
posted 29 September 2025