The Whiteley Homes Trust
Whiteley Village
What makes a good community?
Our founder, William Whiteley, was a successful retail entrepreneur. When he died in 1907, he bequeathed £1 million to create housing for ‘the needy poor in their old age’.
In tandem with putting a roof over people’s heads, we encourage Whiteley residents to participate in and support their community – one that’s created by the people who live here. But our community stretches beyond our boundaries and friends and relatives of residents are always welcome, regardless of age.
Our beautiful 225-acre estate is a wonderful heritage asset with Grade II listed historic buildings designed around an octagon in the Arts and Crafts style. In addition to our extensive woodlands, gardens, lake and green spaces there is also a huge variety of other facilities on offer.
These include a Village Shop, Post Office, library, laundry area, activity centre, second-hand shop, therapy pool and a Village Hall. Outside there are allotments, a bowling green and a putting green. The Clubhouse has a café, conservatory and outdoor play area. There are a host of Clubs and Societies to join organised by Villagers covering a wide range of interests from nature, mahjong and crafts to snooker, whist and archery.
Whiteley is also proud to have its own Anglican church, St Mark’s, as well as Free Church services.
Volunteers play a vital role in helping support and enrich the community at Whiteley and over half are residents themselves. Many participate in our Befriending Scheme, which helps prevent loneliness and isolation in the Village. Lots of local people also volunteer for us and we have strong partnerships with local businesses, schools and universities too, who volunteer and/or provide sponsorship or donations.
If you would like to get involved with Whiteley in any way, please visit our Support Us page. We’d love to hear from you.
The Estate
Our beautiful 225-acre estate offers extensive woodlands, gardens, lakes and green spaces for our residents along with their families and friends to enjoy. The Estates Team work hard all year round to ensure that our grounds are safe and can be enjoyed by all.
The footprint of the village is a series of avenues and roads emanating outwards from a central octagon design. In the very centre is a monument to founder William Whiteley. Nestled amongst the cottages is a bowling green, a putting green, village shop, library, church, memorial garden and many other features.
There are pathways leading into the woods which provide some stunning views meandering past by the lake, café terrace and other picturesque areas. Find out more by clicking below.
The cottages
In 1911, after a competition was held by the Trustees, six leading architects of the time were selected to design a section of the village. Each section is unique and has its own identifying features.
Building began just before war broke out in 1914 but despite the delays, work continued and the first resident, Miss Eliza Palmer, who herself was a retired nurse, took occupancy of 96 Octagon Road on Wednesday 10 October 1917.
Today, there are 264 one and two bedroom cottages in the village which are all Grade II Listed and meet the Decent Homes Standard.
Other features and buildings
In the south west corner of the village you will find the Grade II Listed Village Hall and Clubhouse. This is also where the swimming pool and Community Café are located. The Village Hall was built by Sir Aston Webb in 1915 and is grand, spacious building with a high ceiling, a stage at one end and bathed in natural light from the tall windows.
The Clubhouse features a lobby, lounge and conservatory, ideal for smaller meetings, socialising and of course, is the location of the Community Café which opened in July 2025.
Also on site is St. Mark's Church, designed in 1914 by celebrated architect Walter Tapper, which offers regular services.
Find out more
If you’d like to find out more about Whiteley Village, our facilities or our services, please call us on