10th July 2026 - PRESS RELEASE

6 New almshouses about to be built in Wivenhoe, the first new ones for 50 years. 

These new almshouses will be built on land behind Cross Farm, close by the Fire Station at the top end of Wivenhoe, and nearby shops in Vine Parade, and very close to a bus stop. Given that these homes are intended for Wivenhoe people over 60 years of age and in need of housing, they are ideally situated.

The land has been gifted to the Wivenhoe Housing Trust by Cala Homes as a condition of their planning consent to build 85 homes on this land behind Cross Farm. This was a requirement of the Wivenhoe Neighbourhood Plan which was approved by residents in 2019 and that both Peter Hill, Chairman of Wivenhoe Housing Trust and Bob Needham, Vice-Chairman had leading roles in its creation. 

Cala’s development is being called Wivenhoe Gardens.  It is proposed that the new almshouses be called Raven Court.

They will be run by the Wivenhoe Housing Trust, a registered charity with 9 local trustees. The Trust manages 13 existing almshouses at Jonathan Feedham Court, off Vanessa Drive, and also the Mary Ann Sanford almshouses built in 1873 in Rebow Road. The Jonathan Feedham ones were built in 1974 and were the last to be built in Wivenhoe. 

These new almshouses have been designed by local architect, Adam Edwards RIBA, to look like three Essex barns to complement the existing farm buildings at Cross Farm and Watsham Place. They will have black weatherboarding and pan-tiled roofs, similar to those adjacent buildings. Each barn-like building will comprise two dwellings and will be built around a shared courtyard garden.

Now that the land has finally been transferred into the name of the Wivenhoe Housing Trust, construction work can begin.  Colin Kelly, proprietor of C&K (Contracts) Ltd is the appointed builder, and a former long-standing trustee of the Wivenhoe Housing Trust. He will be sharing details of all costs with the trustees and the local architect, Adam Edwards, who will be checking that all aspects of the construction is handled competitively.

The build is estimated to take 48 weeks and therefore they should ready for occupation in May next year. The trustees have already had requests from some 20 residents interested in living at Raven Court.