Dixon'S Almshouses

Dixon’s Almshouses are a group of six almshouses built in 1868 by J. Oldrid Scott as a memorial to James Dixon of Littleton. They are constructed with a timber frame set on an ashlar plinth of red sandstone, with a red tile roof and five ashlar chimneys. The design is in the Tudor style, arranged in a long, rectangular plan. The building is two storeys high, with a symmetrical six-bay facade. The upper sections of the timber framing incorporate delicate geometric pargeting, and the windows are mullioned with four lights featuring pierced quatrefoil or intersecting tracery. The second and fifth bays feature gabled, two-storey porches open at ground level, with heavily carved spandrels framing 4-centred arched entrances, flanked by cusped lights. Matching four-light windows are found in the upper storey. A memorial plaque is located on the left-hand side, and a biblical quotation is on the right. The rear of the building features three single-storey projections that contain entrances and a verandah supported by wooden posts. The interior was not inspected. The almshouses represent a good example of early Victorian timber framing, with a particularly vernacular feel to the rear.