Founded
in 1827 as a home for retired publicans from all over
England, the Licensed Victuallers Asylum consisted of
just over one hundred separate living quarters of three
rooms each plus 'conveniences' (probably cooking, storage
and washing). The asylum was built about a quadrangle
- the main building housing forty-three living quarters.
By 1840 two lodges at the gate were completed.
It
contained several other institutions, including Peckham
Lunatic Asylum, Workhouses, St Johns Naval School and
the Aged Pilgrims Asylum.
