The Retreat

The Retreat is a Grade II listed building located on Main Street in Bourton-on-the-Hill. This structure consists of four semi-detached almshouses, known as The Retreat of the Aged, which were erected in 1831, as indicated by a stone plaque above the central access arch. The almshouses were built under the patronage of the Reverend Samuel Warneford, who was the rector of the parish.

The building is constructed from ashlar limestone and features a 20th-century artificial limestone slate roof, along with ashlar stacks and limestone gable coping. The plan is a rectangular block with two principal gables that are slightly advanced from the facade, positioned to the right and left of the central access passage. It has two storeys and a symmetrical facade with a window arrangement of 1:2:2:2:1. The windows are late 19th-century to early 20th-century two-light casements with leaded panes, set within flush stone surrounds that have slightly rounded corners at the top.

The central access passage has a stilted arched entrance with a plain projecting architrave and imposts. The entrances to the cottages are located at the rear of the building. There are gable end stacks, as well as two axial stacks towards the center of the structure, and the gable coping is flat. The interior has not been inspected.