The Weavers Company Almshouses opened in 1859, replacing its previous almshouses in Hoxton and Norton Folgate, which had fallen into disrepair. The 3-acre plot at Wanstead had been purchased for £450 and the building costs were estimated at £5,000.

The 2-storey building contained 24 almshouses of two rooms each - 12 for men and 12 for women - and a large Court Room, where residents could meet. The central section of the building had a clock turret and an inscription of the Company's motto: "Weave Truth with Trust". A plaque declared "The Almshouses of the Worshipful Company of Weavers, 1851, formerly in Porters Fields and Old Street Road Shoreditch". Accommodation for the superintendent was provided in this central section. In front of building was a garden with a number of trees and a hedge to the road.

By the 1960s, with fewer working weavers in London, the Company decided to allow non-weavers to occupy the almshouses.

In 1975, with the help of grants, the almshouses were completely modernised, but their original appearance was retained. A parallel block, which also included a Court Room, was added behind the original building, separated from it by a landscaped garden.

In 1988 the new block was extended to provide an additional six apartments. The Court Room was enlarged and a lift installed.

Between 1998 and 2000 the almshouses were again modernised and refurbished. Most of the apartments were enlarged.

Current status