Smith's Hospital Almshouses, Canterbury

Smith's Hospital (almshouses) 1657

A single-storey terrace of 17th-century cottages stands on Longport, east of Canterbury's historic core. This is Smith's Hospital, sometimes known as Smith's Almshouses, built in 1657 by John and Ann Smith of London.

This is not a hospital in the modern sense of a place to provide medical care, but an almshouse; an early form of social housing, providing, in this case, a dwelling for four needy men and an equal number of poor women.

History

Very little is known about John and Ann Smith, save that they owned nearby Barton Court (now a grammar school). Barton Court was not the Smiths' main residence, however; they seem to have resided in London. Tradition says that the Smiths gave money to found a hospital, in addition to other charitable donations, in thanks for the birth of a child after 20 years of a childless marriage.

The front facade

It is worth noting that only John Smith's name appears in the dedication plaque, but it seems clear that Ann Smith also responsible for giving money to the charity and for providing a guaranteed income to the 8 poor residents who lived there.

The Almshouses

The hospital building is timber-framed, though the external structure is encased in red brick. The roof is of tiles, with four very tall chimney stacks shared between pairs of residences. The most striking features are the impressive Dutch gables at each end.

The bricks are laid in English bond, with alternating layers of headers and stretchers. This style is common to the middle of the 17th century, as are the imposing Dutch gable ends.

John Smith dedication plaque

There are eight dwellings within a single terrace, with doors grouped in pairs. Each dwelling has one casement window facing onto Longport, with double wooden shutters, each painted green to match the doors. Each window frame has a wooden timber at the base with metal loops for securing the shutters in place if they need to be closed. In the centre of the front facade is a small stone plaque inscribed with the words:

John Smith, Esq.
Founder of this Hospital
1657

The date 1657 also appears in ornate iron numbers on both gable ends. The date is the year that the almshouses were built, but 19th-century accounts place John Smith's legacy as early as 1644.

The almshouses originally had small front gardens, but these were lost when the pavement in front of the building was installed and now each front door empties directly onto the pavement.

The front facade is remarkably intact and looks much as it must have done in 1657. The rear facade has been extended, enlarging the dwellings, and the terrace now provides four individual dwellings rather than the original eight.

The east gable and 1657 ironwork date

Visiting

The Smith Hospital isn't a 'must see' attraction in the same way that St Augustine’s Abbey is, or even St Martin's Church, just to name two heritage sites that are within a short walk. However, it is well worth seeking out if you are already visiting the abbey or the church, as it is so close to both.

You cannot visit the hospital interior, but you can easily examine the exterior from Longport and from the wide gravel drive that runs along the side of the building (marked as Park Cottages on some maps).

There is parking at the Longport Car Park, a few minutes away on foot (use the same car park to visit the abbey).