Bromley & Sheppard's Colleges
Historic charitable almshouses in Bromley, London, providing accommodation for retired Church of England clergy and eligible dependants.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Bromley & Sheppard's Colleges are historic charitable residential institutions in Bromley, London. Founded in the seventeenth century, they were established to provide housing for members of the Church of England community who had limited means and qualifying family or clerical connections. The institutions are administered together through the Bromley and Sheppard's Colleges Charity, registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under number 210337. The original Bromley College was created through the will of John Warner, Bishop of Rochester, in 1666. Warner intended the foundation to house twenty poor widows of orthodox and loyal clergymen. His estate at Swaton provided financial support, while subsequent benefactors contributed to construction, maintenance, expansion and other operating needs. Because a suitable site could not be secured near Rochester, the Bishop of Rochester's Charities Act 1670 authorized construction elsewhere within the diocese. The almshouses were subsequently built in Bromley between 1670 and 1672 around a quadrangle. Bromley College expanded over time. A second quadrangle was initiated under Zachary Pearce and completed in 1805. Land to the east was acquired after 1821, enabling further improvements to the grounds. The historic complex includes three listed buildings. Bromley College itself is Grade I listed, as is its gateway opening onto the High Street, and the college is regarded as the oldest surviving building in Bromley. Sheppard's College was added in 1840. It was built in the grounds of Bromley College through the benefaction of Mrs Sheppard, who was the sister of the President of Magdalen College, Oxford. Its original purpose was to provide accommodation for daughters who had lived with their mothers at Bromley College. The building is a Tudor Gothic terrace of five houses, with the central house projecting forward; it is listed at Grade II. Today the combined institution provides residential accommodation rather than conventional educational services. Bromley College contains forty self-contained dwellings, while Sheppard's College provides a further seven. Eligibility is focused on retired Church of England clergy and their spouses, retired widows and widowers of clerks, divorced or separated spouses of clerks, and unmarried children or stepchildren of deceased residents of the colleges. Preference is given to applicants connected with the Diocese of Rochester. Governance is carried out by trustees. The governing structure includes ex-officio positions associated with senior Anglican and diocesan offices, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London, the Bishop of Rochester, the Dean of St Paul's, the Archdeacon of Bromley and Bexley, and the Chancellor of the Diocese of Rochester. Deputies may act for some officeholders, and additional co-opted trustees support the institution. Day-to-day administration is handled by the chaplain. The colleges therefore combine a long-standing Anglican charitable purpose with the preservation and continued use of an important group of historic buildings.
History
Bromley College originated in the will of John Warner, Bishop of Rochester, who died in 1666. Warner sought to establish a charitable residence for twenty poor widows of orthodox and loyal clergymen. His estate at Swaton was intended to support the foundation, but the proposed location near Rochester proved impractical because a suitable site could not be found. Parliament therefore passed the Bishop of Rochester's Charities Act 1670, permitting the college to be built elsewhere within the diocese. Construction took place in Bromley from 1670 to 1672. The original almshouses were arranged around a quadrangle, creating a planned residential community rather than an ordinary private housing development. The foundation depended not only on Warner's bequest but also on later donations and endowments, which supported expansion, repairs, grounds and continuing charitable operations. The site developed further during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. A second quadrangle was begun under the direction of Zachary Pearce and completed in 1805. After 1821, land on the eastern side was purchased and the grounds were improved. These successive interventions produced the historic complex that survives today. Bromley College is Grade I listed, and its gateway onto the High Street is separately Grade I listed. The college is recognized as the oldest building in Bromley. In 1840, Sheppard's College was built within the grounds of Bromley College through the benefaction of Mrs Sheppard. The new institution addressed the needs of daughters who had previously lived with their mothers at Bromley College. Architecturally, it consists of a Tudor Gothic terrace of five houses, with the middle house projecting from the line of the others. Sheppard's College is listed at Grade II. The two foundations are now operated together as Bromley and Sheppard's Colleges Charity. Their role has evolved from the original provision for clergy widows into a broader eligibility structure serving retired Church of England clergy, their spouses and other specified dependants. Eligible groups include retired widows and widowers of clerks, divorced or separated spouses of clerks, and unmarried children or stepchildren of deceased collegians. Applicants connected with the Diocese of Rochester receive preference. The current accommodation comprises forty self-contained dwellings at Bromley College and seven further dwellings at Sheppard's College. Governance rests with trustees, including ex-officio representatives of senior Anglican and diocesan offices. Some officeholders may appoint deputies, and seven additional trustees are co-opted. The chaplain is responsible for day-to-day administration. The institution consequently operates as a specialized charitable housing provider while retaining its historic ecclesiastical governance and architectural identity.
- 1840
Sheppard's College established
[1]Mrs Sheppard funded a separate terrace to house daughters who had lived with their mothers at Bromley College.
- 1821
Eastern land acquired for improvements
[1]Land east of the college was acquired after 1821, allowing improvements to the grounds and setting.
- 1805
Second quadrangle completed
[1]A second quadrangle, initiated under Zachary Pearce, was completed as part of the college's expansion.
- 1672
Original Bromley College completed
[1]The first almshouses were completed in Bromley around a quadrangular plan.
- 1670
Parliament authorizes construction outside Rochester
[1]The Bishop of Rochester's Charities Act enabled the foundation to be built at a suitable location anywhere within the Diocese of Rochester.
- 1666
Bromley College founded by testamentary benefaction
[1]John Warner, Bishop of Rochester, provided through his will for a college to house twenty poor widows of clergymen.
Products and positioning
A historic Anglican charitable housing institution combining residential support for retired clergy communities with the preservation of listed seventeenth- and nineteenth-century buildings.
Charitable residential accommodation · 1670
Bromley College
Bromley College is the original residential foundation and historic core of the institution. It provides forty self-contained dwellings for eligible retired Church of England clergy, spouses, widows and widowers, and other qualifying dependants. The buildings are arranged around historic quadrangles and form part of a listed architectural complex in central Bromley.
Charitable residential accommodation · 1840
Sheppard's College
Sheppard's College is a later residential addition built in 1840 within the grounds of Bromley College. Its seven dwellings were originally intended for daughters who had lived with their mothers at Bromley College. The Tudor Gothic terrace remains part of the combined charitable accommodation and is listed at Grade II.
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