Strodes Almshouses and Adjoining Wall to Church Lane

Strodes Almshouses, built in 1699 for Edward Strode and restored around 1862, are located on Church Lane in Shepton Mallet. Constructed from Doulting rubble with squared quoins and freestone details, the almshouses feature four brick stacks with diagonally-set shafts and a slate roof with coped verges. They are two stories tall, with each house consisting of a single bay. The windows have ovolo moulded mullions with two lights, and each doorway has a 4-centred head with a roll moulded surround, leading to mid-19th century ribbed and studded doors. A continuous stringcourse runs along the facade below the first-floor windows. In the center of the frontage, there is a carved stone heraldic achievement displaying the arms of Edward Strode, along with a freestone tablet below it that reads: "Built by Edward Strode of Downside Esquire, for the honour of God and to doe good. Anno Domini, 1699." Access to the almshouses is through a 4-centred arch doorway in a wall that is at right angles to the rear of the left return. Additional tablets related to Strode and his charity can be found in the adjacent Parish Church.