who's in the house?: Green, green grass of home

On the edge of a picturesque village common, a cosy community has blossomed around the 18th century almshouses

This terrace of 12 houses in Mistley, Essex, is thought to have been built some time before 1778 as almshouses for local landowner Sir Richard Rigby. His efforts to turn the small port into a fashionable sea- water spa also endowed Mistley with a water feature, gentrified Georgian facades, and a church by Scottish architect Robert Adam.

Built in red brick with contrasting gault-brick features, the row faces south on to a secluded village green. At the back, small walled yards open on to an unmade lane. With high ceilings and wide halls, all but Number 1 were originally near identical mirror-images: a low door connected the two downstairs rooms, built-in cupboards flanked the deep chimney breasts, floors were brick and the cellars whitewashed. Now, some houses have been knocked through on the ground floor and one was even pebble- dashed - before the block was Grade II listed in 1966. Perhaps it's the sense of being part of a defined unit, or the way that everyone's front door opens on to a traffic-free road, or that the residents sit out front and share the open space, but everyone expresses gratitude for the strong sense of community.

Who's in your house?

If you are a group of people who live, or work, in the same building and would like to be featured on this page, please write to Who's in the House?, The Independent Magazine, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5DL, giving a contact phone number, your address, and details of the type of building you occupy. Please also include recent photographs (which you do not want returned) of your homes or offices.

Number 11

Willie Meston, 46, financial consultant; Liz Meston, 40, co-founder of The Curtain Exchange; Dougall, 14; Felix, 12; Louise, three and Tilly the Labrador

Lived here since 1989

The Mestons swapped homes with the previous owners, and installed Dougall in what was an outhouse. Cupboards and tallboys throughout the home were inherited by Willie. "This neighbourhood is unique," he says. "If we won the lottery we'd probably stay here and buy a house next door." Liz adds: "The green has completely saved my sanity."

Number 3

Mary Gould, 58, nursing-home liaison sister, and Andrew Gould, 61, retired machine operator

Lived here since 1963

Andrew grew up on the green, and bought this house for pounds 1,000 when he married Mary. They have brought up two children here, and their grandchildren, Luke and Bethany, now stay over. Until heating was installed, the family used to rely on a coal fire. A narrow door beside the stairs leads to a 2ft-wide passage to the pantry and kitchen, forming a circuit which provided their children with hours of fun.

Number 8

Sheri Singleton, 40, chef, and David McKay 55, professor of government

Lived here since 1996

The couple's house has been rented out for two years while they have been in Santa Barbara, California. "It's only minimalist because we have none of our stuff here," explains David. "A 40ft container is arriving soon." The house had been untouched since the Fifties, but they have now demolished half the downstairs internal wall. "The walls were meant to be Dijon," says Sheri, "but they turned out bright lemon. But, being from Santa Barbara, I like its sunniness."

Number 10

Tracy Pilkington, 33, teacher; Richard Pilkington, 37, marketing communications manager; and Caitlin, two

Lived here since 1994

"It's a little cottagey thing, which is just what we wanted," says Tracy. The chimney breast is a modern version of the original, as seen at No 11. Uniquely, the Pilkingtons have three bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs, which is consequently very narrow - it also has a chocolate-brown bathroom suite. "We have a Seventies bathroom in a 1700s cottage," jokes Richard. They plan to change it.