Slee'S Almshouses

TIVERTON

SS9512 ST PETER STREET, Tiverton 848-1/6/317 (East side) 12/02/52 Slee's Almshouses

GV II

Almshouses founded in 1610 by George Slee for six single women. Probably renovated c1840s, C20 renovations. Stone rubble and timber; slate roof gabled at the right end; end stack with brick shaft. PLAN: original plan was six single rooms, 3 on each floor and in 1790 were described as having galleries in front "and the lower as well as the upper rooms floored with timber. Behind are small herb gardens but no chapel" (Dunsford). The gallery is now glazed on the first floor. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys. Asymmetrical 6-window front. 2 segmental headed doorways on the front have probably renewed plank and cover strip front doors. Pairs of segmental-headed windows between the doors and at the outer ends of the front are glazed with 2-light casements with square leaded panes. A projection at the right end also has a plank and cover strip front door. The gallery frontal (renewed) is timber with plain sunk panels and glazed above with eight continuous 2-light windows with Tudor arched heads with square leaded panes and flat-faced mullions with roll-mouldings. HISTORY: in 1842 and 1847 the almshouses were described as in a dilapidated state. A chest tomb to George Slee survives in the parish church of St Peter between the chancel and the north chancel chapel. (Dunsford: Historical Memoirs of the Town of Tiverton: 1790-: 341; Harding Lt Col FGS: The History of Tiverton: 1847-: 80).

Listing NGR: SS9539712556