Countess Of Hardwicke Almhouses

The Countess of Hardwicke Almshouses, built in 1846, were designed by H E Kendall for Susan, the fourth Countess of Hardwicke, in memory of her mother. Originally consisting of six almshouses, they are now four. The structure is made of red brick with Ketton limestone dressings and features a fishscale patterned tiled roof. It has four ridge stacks that are symmetrically placed, resembling those from the 17th century, with panelled sides in arched heads, stone dressings, and an entablature.

The main range is a single storey with wings at both the north and south ends. It has a central porch with a shaped gable parapet that displays the shield of arms of the Earls of Hardwicke in the tympanum. The porch features a four-centred arch within a square head, topped with a stepped stone label. There are adjacent doorways with original boarded doors, cover strips, and iron furniture. The main range includes four three-light casements.

The wings are two storeys high, each with shaped gable end parapets and rusticated stone quoins. Each wing has a casement on the first floor and a three-light cross-frame casement on the ground floor. There is a gabled porch at each angle of the wings, with similar adjacent doorways, one of which is now blocked. In front, there is a paved stone terrace accessed by a flight of three steps.