Lady Margaret Hungerford (née Halliday) lived in nearby Corsham House (now Corsham Court) with her husband Sir Edward Hungerford, who commanded Oliver Cromwell's Wiltshire forces during the English Civil War.
Left a wealthy widow upon her husband's death, Lady Margaret put her puritan values into practice by building almshouses for six elderly people—the Hungerford and Halliday families' arms carved over the entrance. Ever mindful of puritan philosophy, she wrote 45 ordinances for her beneficiaries to live by.
Unusually for the time, Lady Margaret included a schoolroom 'for the education of poor boys', which remains largely unchanged to this day, retaining many of its original features.
Though steeped in the 17th century, the site is very much alive today. Conversion of the stable block, and subsequently a portion of the warden's house, created a total of eleven almshouses, now home to twelve beneficiaries. The almshouses and schoolroom remain under the stewardship of the Lady Margaret Hungerford Charity and its volunteers. A small group of trustees oversee the property, while a dedicated team of gardeners and guides care for the grounds and welcome visitors from far and wide.
