The Heritage team at TEP successfully discharged a condition for archaeological work at a Grade II Listed Alms House. The Alms House was founded in 1612 to accommodate six elderly and infirm people and comprised a one and half storied range which was divided into six residences.
The team carried out historic building recording to Level 3 standards which included detailed photographic recording, and creation of measured drawings of the timber-framing.
The Alms House demonstrated characteristic features of Alms Houses of the period and was a good example of this type of architecture. The external walls were built of stone and the internal partitions and the roof trusses were built as combined timber-framed elements with at least two main phases of alteration. The interior of the building was laid out as six independent rooms with each a separate access, fireplace and stair to the upper loft or floor. The original stairs had long been removed and our work confirmed their location in each cell, which were fitted between the central chimney stacks and the external wall. An interesting feature was a later insertion of a series of pigeon or dove nesting holes built into the south gable.
