Fit for an Emperor?

This row of 17th Century cottages lie within sight (if you remove the more modern surrounding buildings) of St Michael's Abbey (extra).  Although pre-dating the abbey, founded in 1881, the cottages are named for their neighbours.  

The corner cottage is Emperor House, presumably in honour of the French emperor Napoléon III. Following the rise of the French Third Replublic in 1870, he was exiled to England where he died in 1873. His grieving wife, the Empress Eugénie, purchased a home in Farnborough, Hants and subsequently founded the abbey, inviting French Benedictine monks to create a monastic community here, which remains to this day.  She is buried in the abbey, along with her husband and son, who died in 1879 while fighting in the Zulu War in South Africa.


The other cottages are Empress Cottage, Eugenie Cottage and Ye Old Farm, and together form my subject for today's Wide Wednesday challenge of  "Old Building", thanks to Bobsblips for hosting!