Parsons' Almshouses

Parsons' Almshouses are a range of buff-colored brick buildings with stone dressings, designed in the Tudor style by G. Basevi and constructed in 1844. They have a long U-shaped layout, featuring a central tower on the south range and long single wings extending to the north, which are terminated by short gabled cross wings. The windows are primarily two-light casements, with some three-light options, all having stone mullions and transoms. The doorways are topped with four-centred stone arches. The central tower is capped with an ogee slate roof, adorned with ornamental dormers, a central pointed arched window, and a stone panel that reads, "These almshouses were erected 1844 through the munificence of Thomas Parsons, an Ely benefactor of the 15th century." The roofs are tiled, and there are paired circular chimney shafts on moulded bases. Parsons' Almshouses form a group with several nearby properties, including Nos 20, 22, 22A, and Nos 24 to 30 (even), as well as other buildings on Church Lane and Downham Road.