Almshouses

A pair of former Almshouses built in 1936, now converted to offices. They were commissioned by William Julien Courtauld and designed by the renowned 20th-century architect E. Vincent Harris, with lettering by Eric Gill. The interior was remodelled in the late 20th century.

The almshouses are constructed in thin, pale brown Northwick bricks with Portland stone string courses and dressings, and a Delabole slate roof. They are arranged in an L-shape with a courtyard behind, forming two single-storey structures designed in Neo-Georgian style.

The exterior features a gable roof with four tall brick chimneys and Dutch gables at the south and east ends. The two almshouses are joined at the north-west corner by a common entrance with two gated doorways, each with prominent stone quoin surrounds topped with deep cornices and a pediment. A carved stone plaque bearing the initials 'WJC' is incorporated into the cornice. All windows are small-paned leaded casements with stone surrounds.

The entrances lead to a single corridor running through to the rear courtyard. Mid-way along the east side of the corridor is a substantial timber-panelled door with a small opening in the upper panel covered by an iron grill. Another entrance on this side gives access to the plant for the fountain, located in a small basement beneath the left-hand almshouse. At the rear, each almshouse has a central timber door flanked by windows; the western almshouse has an added disabled ramp.

Although converted to offices, the left-hand almshouse retains a legible plan-form with two simple fireplaces with wooden surrounds and some cornices. The right-hand almshouse has been significantly remodelled and contains few fixtures or fittings of interest. Interior window furniture survives in both almshouses.

The almshouses were built in 1936 as a gift from William Julien Courtauld, a descendant of the textile manufacturing family and patron of architecture and the arts. They were part of a larger scheme that also included a fountain and public open space on the corner of St Michaels Road and the High Street, Braintree. The site had previously been occupied by dilapidated cottages which were cleared to make way for the development. An article in The Builder of 2 October 1936 noted that Courtauld's intention was to erect a memorial to King George V and to build the almshouses as part of his broader aim to improve the entrance to Braintree from London. Courtauld had previously commissioned E. Vincent Harris to design Braintree Town Hall (Grade II*, 1926-28). In 1939, Harris designed Leahurst to the west as a home for district nurses, also in Neo-Georgian style with statuary and lettering by Eric Gill. In the early 21st century, the almshouses served as offices for the Citizens Advice Bureau.