The Manwood Orchard Almshouses are four new terraced almshouses in the grounds of existing grade 2* listed almshouses for the charity The Sir Roger Manwood Trust. The almshouses provide elderly people with homes in a strong existing community and harmoniously sit in their historical surroundings. 

The new almshouses combine local traditional materials and construction details with high levels of insulation and integrated underfloor heating powered by air source heat pumps to create warm comfortable homes which far exceed modern building regulations. The buildings also include draft lobbies and have been designed not only to lifetime home standards but also in line with the almshouse association guidelines and specialist advice from occupational therapists.

As  a  part  of  an  active  life  policy  most  residents  to  both  the  new  and  the  old  almshouses maintain  a  small  garden  area  to  the  front  and  back  of  their  accommodation  with  some excellent results. A maintenance worker helps or attends to plots that residents can no longer manage and the communal areas.

The communal garden between the new single story almshouses and the old two story grade 2* listed almshouses was regraded and landscaped with paths suitable for elderly residents. The soft landscape design was designed to boost local wildlife such as bees and butterflies. Rain water from the roof of the new almshouses is collected and stored for watering both the private and communal gardens. 

The location of the almshouses is right in the heart of the historical area of St Stephen’s in Canterbury and as such there are local amenities close by. These include shops, dentists, doctors, churches, hairdressers, restaurants, chemists and the church hall across the road. There is also a frequent bus service close by going to Canterbury City Centre, Whitstable and Herne Bay. Parking spaces (with level access routes) have been provided but these are mainly for visitors and each new almshouse is provided with parking for electronic mobility scooters (with charge points) and internal cycle storage. 

They have currently been entered for the RIBA regional awards and shortlisted for the RICS awards and almshouses association patron’s award. None of these award winners have been announced yet but they will be later in 2017.