The Taunton Heritage Trust is an almshouse charity based in Taunton, Somerset.  We provide 66 almshouse flats in the town for the over 60s in financial need.  All our flats are adapted with the older person in mind and have walk-in showers and a 24-hour care alarm system.  We also provide live-in Warden support. 

[above photo: Grays Almshouse, a Grade I listed building dating back to 1635s | All photo credits: Taunton Heritage Trust]

Each of our sites has the benefit of a community room for the use of residents as well as communal laundries with washers and dryers provided and maintained by the Trust. We ensure our flats and communal gardens are maintained to a very high standard and provide all flooring and white goods in each flat.  We also have guest suites so that our Residents’ friends and relatives are able to visit and stay over at minimal cost.

Each site is a special community in its own right.  We have two very experienced wardens whose role is that of “good neighbour”.  They visit our residents on a daily basis and are able to tailor their visits should a resident need some extra support.  If for example, a resident has recently been unwell, had a fall or come home from a spell in hospital, our wardens are able to keep an extra special eye on that individual to ensure they are fully supported. 

HUISH HOMES, a Grade II listed building built in 1868

Our wardens organise a range of events and activities for the benefit of our residents and this includes regular coffee mornings, film afternoons, fish & chip suppers, race nights, charity fund raisers etc. 

ST JAMES CLOSE, built in 1845 

We never put our residents under any pressure to get involved, and some are very private individuals who like to keep themselves to themselves.  We completely respect that fact but we work hard to ensure that our residents are never socially isolated and always have a friendly face to turn to if they have a problem.

LEYCROFT CLOSE, built in 1931


HISTORY OF TAUNTON HERITAGE TRUST


The Taunton Heritage Trust is an amalgamation, achieved over the last century or so, of a remarkable collection of charitable trusts, funds and bequests originally for the benefit of needy people in Taunton but now extended to the inhabitants of the modern borough of Taunton Deane. Its origins were unknown to a Government Charitable Commission as early as 1611, but by then it was endowed with some fifty properties in the town centre and land in two Devon parishes. The involvement of Civic Officers in the distribution of doles suggests a pre-Reformation origin in the brotherhoods established in the town’s principal church, St Mary’s, in the 15th century.


Charitable housing was part of that same attempt to help the poor in the 15th century, culminating two centuries later in several independent almshouse foundations, two of which, by Richard Huish and Robert Gray, were singularly well endowed. All at different times were supported by and later amalgamated with the Civic Foundation, bringing with them educational interests and as well as a long tradition of sheltered housing coupled with financial support.


Surviving records of the charities tell a story of help given to thousands of the most vulnerable in the town and neighbourhood, and of a succession of townsmen and women and others, giving their time as Trustees to ensuring that the generosity of the past continues to be effective in the future.

The Trust has a fascinating document put together by the Arts Society on the Chapel at Grays Almshouses

click here to view

Due to the very special nature of what we offer at the Taunton Heritage Trust, there is no doubt that some of our residents are able to live independently within our schemes for longer than if they were living elsewhere in the town on your average street. 

Some of our residents are well into their nineties, and because of the sheltered nature of what the Trust provides, are able to still live with dignity and a great quality of life, behind their own front door, in the knowledge that help is always on hand. 

As well as the support that our wardens provide, our residents look out for each other and there is a real sense of belonging and caring.

The following are some special case studies regarding residents, that have been prepared by our wardens.  It is so apparent that our wardens develop a very special relationship with their residents:

“This gentleman joined us in December a couple of years ago.  He had lived in his own mobile home on a site for over 25 years, but on return from hospital, he realised that his home was no longer fit to live in, as it had deteriorated so badly.  It was also unsaleable.

The gentleman was invited in for an interview where he came across as being very independent although his mobility was limited. We felt he was in need and that we could offer him a ground floor flat with 24 hr support through the piper line and warden.  He very happily accepted and was very aware that he would have to arrange a package of care when needed.

This gentleman has now lived independently in his own almshouse for 18 months, and due to his terminal illness, regularly visits the local hospice.  We have been able to provide him with the support to enable him to maintain his independence and dignity and to ensure the final months of his life are comfortable.  He enjoys a daily warden visit.”

In his application he was completely honest and open about his medical condition which is serious and will shorten his life expectancy.  He had a short spell in a Nursing home for respite which he did not enjoy, as he felt that he was far too independent and mobile and not ready for this stage.

“This gentleman joined the Trust in back in 2011, having suffered a massive stroke and that left him with a severe right-side weakness.

On his discharge from hospital, his wife refused him access to his home (which was in her name only) and so he was declared “homeless “by the Local Authority.  They offered him upstairs single room accommodation at a local hotel, which he accepted. He applied to the Trust for a ground floor flat, being totally independent with his personal care, finance and mobility, and was successful,  He remains with us today, living completely independently but enjoying the benefits of 24 hour support through the warden’s visits and the helpline.  There is no doubt that he is extremely happy.”

“Resident M was 61-years-old when she came to the Trust and has been with us for 27 years. She was divorced from her husband before moving to Taunton to be closer to family and friends. In her younger days she worked as a supervisor at Woolworths.

M was given the choice of two vacant flats at the time and she decided to have the smaller one which is our only flat that is still a bedsit with the bedroom and living room together; this was ideal for her as it is in a private location overlooking our lovely gardens.

M is a very quiet, solitary lady and lives a very independent life, but she is one of our characters. She has a very quiet presence yet participates in every event within the community, even if she insists that she ‘can’t be bothered with it’! Our warden usually sets the bait with a homemade cake or something tasty and lo and behold she will always turn up and usually is the first to arrive!  She is encouraged to join in as her life is quite lonely, however, this is the way she likes to live.  She has a poor relationship with her family who have only recently become more supportive since M has been diagnosed with dementia.

At present her mental health is deteriorating but she has surprised us all by accepting help with a carer coming in once a day to prepare lunch and assist with small chores or do shopping. We hope that with the support that we are able to provide, that M will continue to stay with us as long as possible.”

“Resident D has been with us for a year. He is a former homeless man and he is slowly adjusting to a more comfortable life in Trust accommodation. He had been sleeping in an old camper van for over two years and was accessing facilities at a local homeless charity. He was referred to us by a support worker from the homeless charity, initially bringing him along to an Open Morning.  D was very distrustful and both the support worker and members of the Trust staff had to work quite hard to persuade D to take up our offer of a flat. 

D is a single man and gave up his business so that he could care for his elderly parents who have now both died.  He settled in to his flat well, although he still displays traits of having an unconventional lifestyle!  D is a quirky character with a great sense of humour, and he mixes well within our community. He has been offered help with furniture etc, but he prefers to sleep on a camp bed and use only a camping chair.  The Trust has been able to provide him with a stable home in a safe environment and he has built up a good level of Trust with his warden and close neighbours.”

 Mr M is a 68-year-old man who had been living with his partner of 37 years, unfortunately the relationship broke down and his partner had terminated the lease on their rented property giving him a fortnight to find other accommodation. He was working part time as a chef but did not have any savings and was not at that time of pensionable age. He came to the Trust for help on 1st of October in desperate need and very low in mood, fortunately we did have a vacant flat available, but it needed some refurbishment, we basically moved heaven and earth to get the flat ready and Mr M moved in on the 14th of October.

He moved in without a stick of furniture, not even a kettle, we therefore issued him a grant where he was then able to purchase essentials.

Mr M has now been with us for three years and is a model Resident and extremely proud of his flat, he is truly a different man now than he was when we first met. He puts his cheffing skills to good use, often doing barbeques on our event evenings, he is also now in receipt of his state pension, so financially is in a much better position and a very happy man! In a recent conversation I have had with him, he said that moving into his almshouse flat has been the best thing to happen to him, as he is now worry free and no longer in the dark place he was once in.”

Resident D is a 78-year-old widow and arrived in this country from Australia in 2018 courtesy of the Office for Migration. All three of her children are in Australia and whilst living there with her daughter, she tried to get a permanent resident visa so she could be granted state benefits but was unsuccessful. She was staying in temporary accommodation at the time and was referred to the Trust by a local Housing Officer. Being in a community and having the security of living within the Trust appealed to her.

Having no income and few belongings, the Trust granted her money to purchase essential furniture, and after sourcing items from charity shops, it was not long before she adapted and made her little dwelling look lovely and homely. D began to slowly settle in, but her heart was sad because was also still missing her husband who had died four years previously; and then she was forced to leave her family and the new life that she had made.

I referred D to a befriending charity and for a while she appreciated the weekly phone call but was not up for joining in the monthly tea party that they organise. D is a quiet, gentle soul and is very positive lady who enjoys good humour.  She soon developed a friendship with another lady, also a widow living on that site, a rather larger-than-life character who liked to know everyone and everything! They soon became inseparable and started doing everything together: going to the coffee morning that we started up on that site; trips to the local supermarket most days, Trust Christmas events and summer outings; breaking lockdown rules together and sometimes even having a bit of a moan between themselves! It was a good friendship and D appeared very much happier. Sadly, her friend collapsed one day and was taken into hospital. For many weeks D was without her friend who eventually passed away.

The weeks following, D understandably seemed quite low in spirits, so I took more time to chat with her on my visits. For a while she lost her spark again and initially, she expressed no interest in doing much, but over time and with gentle encouragement, I managed to get her to come to the coffee morning on our main site. This was quite daunting for her on her own, so I walked up with her the first couple of times, having made everyone aware that she was joining us. It was wonderfully heart-warming to see how well she was welcomed into the group She sits with her cuppa having a good old natter and now regularly attends many events that myself and the residents organise.

Before her friend died, D volunteered in a local charity shop, and she told me that after lockdown they never asked her back. I could sense her disappointment and rejection and I recently had a conversation with someone who knew D and worked in the shop. The lady told me that they never asked her back because she kept talking to customers. I remarked that to me this would not matter, and it was a shame as D enjoyed the company, and that surely it should be a positive thing to chat to customers and good for business! Knowing this lady well, I knew that my comment would probably be passed on – and it was! D’s face was beaming recently when she told me that the Manager had apologised for not calling her sooner and that would be very pleased to welcome her back!

One last thing – I am awaiting a message from her daughter in Australia who has recently been unwell in hospital and misses her Mum too.  Hopefully, I will be able to arrange for D and her family to facetime soon, and before Christmas as I know this will be very lonely time for her. “

The Almshouse Association is thankful to Taunton Heritage Trust, to the wardens and the residents for sharing their stories with us. If you would like to find out more about the Trust, please visit their website here.

posted June 2023