Historic Almshouses

A Guide to Managing Change

This advice note suggests how the heritage significance of almshouses can be conserved as proposals for upgrading are developed.

As times change and the need for affordable accommodation is widely felt, provision of appropriately accessible and comfortable homes with contemporary standards of accommodation, allowing residents to remain independent in their homes for as long as possible, is essential. Almshouses derive a distinctive form from their use in providing communal housing, often for the elderly, which has continued for centuries. This advice note suggests how significance can be retained while supplying more comfortable and appropriate housing.

This advice note is accompanied by case studies (see below) illustrating good practice in developing proposals for development works affecting listed almshouses.

Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. What are almshouses?
  3. Historical overview
  4. Legal and policy background
  5. An approach to change in almshouses
  6. Characteristic changes to almshouses
  7. Applications for change
  8. Further reading

Case studies

The following case studies accompany this advice note and illustrate good practice in developing proposals for development works affecting historic almshouses.

As proposals for change should be developed following the staged approach given in section 7 of the advice note, a brief historical and architectural background is sketched in, followed by a discussion of the need for change in each case and how the proposal conserves significance and avoids harm.

Additional Information

  • Series: Guidance
  • Publication Status: Completed
  • Pages: 25
  • Product Code: HEAG326

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