Anthony West House

There may be people living in Brockham (and the neighbouring villages) who do not know about Anthony West House (AWH) in Wheelers Lane, other than it being a large Victorian house next to the church hall.  It was, in fact, the vicarage of Christ Church, Brockham, for many decades and provided the vicars with a large, rather chilly house and an enormous garden, the ‘glebe’, where they grew enormous quantities of vegetables to feed their large families.

In the early 1980’s the Church Commissioners decided to sell AWH and move the vicar to a more suitable house after Brockham and Betchworth parishes were amalgamated.  

A local benefactor stepped in and the house was bought with the purpose of ‘providing accommodation for those who have reached sixty years of age and who are able to live independently and to care for their own needs; the properties are for the use of needy persons wanting such accommodation with priority given, at the discretion of the Association, to people having connection with Brockham and neighbouring villages in the district of Mole Valley’.  Vacant accommodation is still allocated on this basis.

A charity, called Brockham Housing Trust, was established to manage AWH and ensure that the residents could live in safe and comfortable surroundings. The site has 15 units, one of which is occupied by the ‘tenant with responsibility’, who keeps a friendly eye on the residents.  The remaining units comprise 7 bungalows for two person occupancy, 3 flats for two person occupancy, 3 flats for single occupancy and a single person coach house conversion.  The three single flats have stairs and no lift and are therefore more suitable for more mobile tenants. 

In 2023, as the charitable objectives of AWH and the Po;land Trust were almost identical; with both focussed on helping people in need in Brockham and the surrounding communities Brockham Housing Trust approached Poland Trust to propose a transfer of ownership and management of the properties owned by AWH to Poland Trust. This transfer has now been completed and Pam Hammond became a trustee of The Poland Trust to provide continuity for the Anthony West House residents.

If you are perhaps thinking of downsizing or are in need of accommodation and would like further information about Anthony West House, please contact Poland Trust.