The houses lining Romney Road are all very similar and regular in appearance, except Nos. 1 and 2 at the Milnthorpe Road end.

This semi-detached villa is uniquely different.

It is entitled ‘The Watkins Memorial Almshouse 1926’ on a central plaque on the architect’s drawings but when they were built the only inscription was the date 1928, on a spouthead.

Apart from this there is no means of identification and the history of it is completely unknown locally.

It was designed by G. L. Hoggarth of Kendal and built to accommodate some of the poor residents in Kendal.

Who was Watkins and why are the almshouses built here?

Mrs Watkins was the widow of John Aston Watkins and died in 1908 leaving in her will the proviso that the almshouses be built.

She was of the Myerscough family of Kendal and John was of the Watkins family of Monmouth, which emigrated to Australia.

There he married Mary Myerscough in 1841 and set up home in Hobart Town.

They had no children and after his death in 1866 she stayed in Hobart for some years before returning to the family home in 26 Lowther Street.

She was buried in Parkside Road cemetery. We have no idea why the family emigrated to Australia nor why Mary went there.

Kendal has had a number of almshouses such as the Sleddall Almshouses on Aynam Road and the Sandes Hospital in Highgate.

With the Watkins Almshouses they all demonstrate the charitable concern that people of Kendal have always had for the poor.