Percy And Wagner Almshouses

The Percy and Wagner Almshouses are a group of 12 almshouses located on Lewes Road in Brighton, built in 1795 and 1859, with restoration work completed around 1975. The first six almshouses, numbered 4 to 9, were constructed in 1795 by Dorothy and Philadelphia Percy, who were daughters of the Duke of Northumberland, to support six poor widows of the Church of England. The northernmost three almshouses, numbered 1 to 3, along with the southernmost ones, numbered 10 to 12, were added in 1859 by Reverend Henry Wagner and his sister Mary in memory of the Marquis of Bristol.

The almshouses are built of yellow brick in Flemish bond and feature a slate roof. They are two storeys high with two windows each, except for the central house, which shares a central window. The façade has a rhythm of 4-2-3-5-3-2-4, with pointed-arched entrances that are no longer in use. The central pair of entrances is set under an ogee arch with a brick hoodmould. The pointed-arched windows have sashes of original design, with the upper sash featuring pointed-arched glazing bars. An inscription above the central bay reads: "THESE ALMSHOUSES were erected and endowed at the request of the late PHILADELPHIA and DOROTHY PERCY AD 1795." There is also a plaque on No. 3, placed between the ground and first floor, stating: "1859/In pious remembrance of/The Marquis of Bristol/ M.A.W. and H.M.W." The building is topped with a cornice and a simple cemented embattled parapet, and there are stacks at the party walls. The interior has not been inspected.