Salem Almshouses

BARNSTAPLE

SS5632 TRINITY STREET 684-1/5/251 (East side) 19/01/51 Salem Almshouses

GV II

Almshouses, originally for 24 men and women. 1834. Founded by Charles Roberts. Snecked local stone rubble, with tie rods; natural slate roof; brick stacks with corbelled cornices and some old pots. 3 ranges arranged as an overall U-plan, fronting a pitched stone courtyard with a low wall (railings missing) to the street. Each unit has one heated front room, a rear service room and an axial stair cell between. Plans have been altered to accommodate a shared bathroom to each 2 units with separate access. 2 storeys. Segmental-headed windows and doorways, the doorways with recessed plank and cover strip doors, the windows with flat stone arches and pretty, tall, 3-light casements, with 10 panes per light with Gothick arched heads to the upper panes. Regular, symmetrical 8-window main range (including false, painted windows). Left and right doors and 2 pairs of doors towards the centre. One window to each unit on the ground floor and one to the first floor plus first-floor painted windows to preserve the regularity. The projecting return ranges each have 3 doors and 3 windows. The gable ends of the return ranges have one ground and one first-floor window to match the others and stone plaques in the gable reading (left-hand range) 'Salem almshouses erected by Charles Roberts 1834 for 24 men and women' and (right-hand range) 'he that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord'. Some later additions to the rear. INTERIOR: No.6 inspected, includes original wall cupboards with strap hinges, boxed stair and plank door between front and rear room. Close to the the rear of Penrose almshouses, Litchdon Street (qv) and a late example of a particularly good set of almshouses in Barnstaple and Pilton.

Listing NGR: SS5612532929