44 And 44A, Octagon Road

Nos. 44 and 44A on Octagon Road are a pair of almshouses built around 1912 by architect Ernest Newton. The buildings are constructed of red brick with raised quoins and feature a moulded wooden cornice beneath a plain tiled hipped roof, which has tall panelled stacks along the ridge and four hipped dormers. The design includes a centred return gable with bargeboards and a "Venetian" window type casement on the first floor. The structure consists of two bays to the left of the central entrance arch and three bays to the right, with irregular casements throughout. The entrance arch is adorned with moulded brick impost blocks and a keystone, leading to a half-glazed door. There is also a subsidiary entrance for No. 44A, which has a flat hood over it on the right-hand return front. Whiteley Village was established by William Whiteley of Whiteley's stores to provide for thrifty elderly individuals and was designed on an octagonal plan by Frank Atkinson, utilizing prominent architects of the time.