Brick Alley Almshouses is a Grade I listed building in the Vale of White Horse local planning authority area, England. First listed on 10 December 1971. Almshouses. 6 related planning applications.

Brick Alley Almshouses

WRENN ID
waning-obsidian-owl
Grade
I
Local Planning Authority
Vale of White Horse
Constituency
Oxford West and Abingdon MP: Layla Moran (LD)
Country
England
Date first listed
10 December 1971
Type
Almshouses
Address
Brick Alley Almshouses, West St Helen Street, Abingdon on Thames, OX14 5EL
OS grid reference
SU 496 967
Coordinates
51.66718, -1.28281
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: EPC · related consents · flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

The Brick Alley Almshouses, built in 1718 by mason Samuel Westbrooke, are located on the west side of West St Helen Street, facing the churchyard. This two-storey building features a striking design in chequer and rubbed brick. The main elevation showcases three tall arches on either side of a staircase projection, which create a cloister passage below and galleries above. The centre has a pediment made of chequered brick, with rubbed brick quoins and pedestals intended for urns, representing an excellent example of bricklayers' craftsmanship. The riverside elevation is constructed with rubble walling accented by red brick dressings, a coved eaves cornice, and tall panelled brick stacks. The Brick Alley Almshouses, along with Twitty's Almshouses, Long Alley Almshouses, and the church of St Helen, form a cohesive group of historic buildings.

Local climate

Brick Alley Almshouses sits in a drier-than-average part of the UK, with an average of 730 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 78% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 69% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 32 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 59% of listed buildings. Of these, 14 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

More on this building

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  • Full EPC report — heating system, energy costs, size, glazing, construction etc.
  • No sale records on file
  • Related listed building consents — 6 applications
  • Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
  • Flood risk assessment
  • Radon risk assessment
  • Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
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Nearby listed buildings

  1. Organ Blowing Chamber in St Helen's Churchyard Grade II 16 m
  2. Long Alley Almshouses Grade I 34 m
  3. Wall to the Old Anchor Inn Grade II 42 m
  4. Church of St Helen Grade I 44 m
  5. The Old Anchor Inn Grade II 57 m
  6. 58 and 60, East St Helen Street Grade II 60 m
  7. 54 and 56, East St Helen Street (South-East Side) Grade II 63 m
  8. 52, East St Helen Street Grade II 69 m
  9. 3 and 4, St Helens Wharf Grade II 73 m
  10. 50, East St Helen Street Grade II 74 m