Hillier Almshouse have just celebrated being in their current building for 50 years!

Val Richards, Manager/Clerk to the Trustees at the almshouses sent us in some fabulous photos of the cake and special guests as well as ashort history of the charity. She writes,

“We had a fantastic party on Saturday and our guests included Lord Onslow (our patron), Lady Onslow and Lady Onslow (dowager).  We also enjoyed the company of the major and her escort. “

A Short History of Hillier Almshouses, Farnham Road

Hillier’s Charity began on November 6th 1798 when Elizabeth Hillier gave £2500 to trustees; but she died before the purpose of her gift had been legally declared.  In her will she stated her intention of buying a piece of ground and building and endowing an almshouse for seven women.

Her brother Nathaniel, an executor of her will,  decided that Elizabeth had intended the trusts to be used for this purpose and Hilliers Charity was created on 25th November 1800.  The first almshouses, for eight women, were built in Curtain Road, Shoreditch, London.

In 1878 twelve new cottages were built in Farnham Road, Guildford, within the parish of St Nicholas, on a piece of land donated by William Hillier, Nathaniel`s heir. In 1971 the cottages were replaced with a new building containing studios for 36 residents and a warden.  Some of the structure from the original, ornate, arts and crafts building has been preserved and can be seen in the bus stop on the Farnham Road also in the summerhouse which stands in the garden of Hillier House.

In 2005 the Charity undertook major building work and converted eight of its studio flats into four spacious one bed roomed flats.  In 2010 a further four studios where converted to one bed roomed flats.  Finally, in 2014 the last four upstairs studios were converted to one-bedroom flats completing the program to convert all the upstairs studios into flats.

Trustee body
The Charity is run in accordance with the schemes prepared by the Charity Commission. The Charity is administered by voluntary trustees nominated by local churches, including St Nicholas and Guildford Borough Council.  Day-to-day administration is carried out by the warden and the clerk.
Almshouses
Almshouses are unfurnished dwellings, usually specially designed with the needs of older people in mind.  The aim is to provide convenient and comfortable accommodation in a setting which allows residents to come and go as they please.  Almshouses provide security and residents are encouraged to make friends and share a wider social life through use of the communal lounge and other facilities.  Most almshouses have a resident warden and an emergency call system in each unit.  In an emergency, such as sudden illness or after a fall, a resident can get help quickly.

posted 3 March 22

Devon Live reports on the celebrations held by the Barnstaple Almshouses in Autumn 21.

“On a day of celebrations as a new garden was officially unveiled at Barnstaple Penrose Almshouse, Barnstaple planted the first tree as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II’s Jubilee celebration.

The tree was planted by Lord Teverson in the gardens of Penrose Almshouses. As possibly the most prestigious Grade I listed building in Barnstaple it is fitting that it is home to the first tree to celebrate the Queens Jubilee.

Trustees and residents of Penrose Almshouse were proud to accept this invitation and start the planting in Devon. Planting the tree, Lord Teverson, ambassador for The Almshouse Association said,

“It is an honour to plant this tree to celebrate our Queens Jubilee on behalf of this wonderful almshouse charity.”

The Queens Green Canopy focusses on planting sustainability and encourages planting of trees to create a legacy in honour of The Queen’s leadership of the Nation, to benefit future generations. The project also dedicates a network of 70 Ancient Woodlands across the United Kingdom and identifies 70 Ancient Trees to celebrate Her Majesty’s 70 years of service.

The Penrose Crab Apple Tree is pinned on the Queens Green Canopy interactive map, which shows all the trees planted across the UK within the project. Mayor, Councillor Alan Rennles added:

“On behalf of Barnstaple Town Council, the mayor has put forward a tree and we are delighted Barnstaple is one of the first places in the country to put a tree in the ground to celebrate her jubilee.”

The celebrations came as the new gardens at the Penrose Almshouses were officially opened. The sun shone down on dignitaries, residents, families, friends and trustees at the event as everyone celebrated the ability to get together again post covid for the formal opening of the new gardens by Lady Arran VLL, MBE.

Joining the celebrations were Lord and Lady Teverson, the mayor and mayoress of Barnstaple, Alan and Sue Rennles and chair of North Devon Council Councillor Julie Hunt.

This historic almshouse charity was established in 1624 to provide housing for the folk of Barnstaple and is run by a group of trustees who act as guardians of the Grade 1 listed heritage site. Chairman Mike Ford said:

“It is a pleasure to provide this garden for the residents of Penrose and we all hope that they gain much enjoyment from them”.

The new gardens provide a mixture of large allotments, a communal allotment area with summer house and tool shed, plus three lawned areas for either quiet reflection or larger parties.

Vegetables are prolific in the allotment plots whilst passion flowers, scented roses and clematis adorn drooping ropes, trellis and two pergolas. The backdrop of shrubs and flowers have been carefully designed to provide all year-round interest and perfume.

Unveiling a commemoration plaque Lady Arran, the Countess of Arran said: “Ladies and gentlemen, it is the happiest day possible for the almshouses, to be here be with you all together and to see people all under a beautiful Devon blue sky.

“Penrose really is a sanctuary in Barnstaple and has the most extraordinary spiritual feel. This new garden really is just the icing on the cake. I cannot congratulate you all enough.

There has been a lot of tender loving care in the creation of the garden and I’m sure there’s going to be an enormous amount of pleasure within this happiest area. Please enjoy every minute of it and thank you all so much for the incredible hard work that’s gone into it.”

Lord Teverson expressed his delight with the gardens and reiterated the importance of almshouse charities within the UK which offer homes within very special communities. Cllr Rennles said,

“It really is so wonderful to see the transformation of this garden. I know that this space is going to bring much joy to the residents here. It’s a marvellous achievement and I am delighted to be here today to see the official opening.”

Support for the new gardens has been given by Devon County Council, St Johns Garden Centre, BJ Value House, Barnstaple Town Council and Ground Force to whom the charity extends their gratitude. A grant for the garden party which reunite trustees, staff, patrons families and friends post covid, on this special afternoon was award by Devon County Council Reconnect Rebuild Recover Grant Fund Team.

National statistics demonstrate that those who live in almshouses have a longer life expectancy many other sectors of the community. Walking through the beautiful, cobbled courtyard into the peaceful gardens today it easy to understand why. “

Author: Lewis Clarke for Devon Live – 4 Oct 2021 – Barnstaple plants Devon’s first tree to mark Queen’s jubilee – Devon Live

New Passivhaus Homes

A Cambridgeshire charity is celebrating a major milestone in its latest building project to create 15 almshouses for the over 55s and a new office for its own operations.

Girton Town Charity (GTC) joined with contractor Barnes Construction, Mole Architects and Northmores Project Managers to mark a key stage in the building programme at Dovehouse Court, with the erection of timber frame panels which will provide the structure for the new energy-efficient homes.

Built to stringent Passivhaus standards, Dovehouse Court has been designed to meet the future needs of the elderly, allowing for extended independent living including easy wheelchair access. Homes have individual terraces or balconies which open onto communal landscaped gardens, an orchard and allotments.

Passivhaus is a leading international low-energy design standard which offers a robust and proven method to help UK construction achieve carbon reduction targets set out by the Government and local authorities, leading to a sustainable future for the environment locally, nationally and globally.

The timber frame panels are made from Spruce soft wood sourced from Scandinavia and manufactured in Welshpool by Lowfield Timber which specialises in Passivhaus buildings. The frames were delivered to site on lorries, for erection by crane, and once completed, an air test will be carried out to calculate the building’s air permeability.

This project, scheduled for completion in Autumn 2022, has recently been awarded a grant from The Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority, with the balance being funded by GTC.

The almshouses will be made available to those living in, or with a close connection to Girton.  Vacancies will be advertised locally for which residents can apply and be interviewed, with decisions made after careful consideration on the basis of a wide range of criteria.

Ann Bonnett, GTC Chair said:

“As an almshouse charity, we are committed to providing homes that will meet the needs of our residents, both families and the over 55s. With Dovehouse Court, we are looking forward to having age-appropriate affordable almshouses that are not only practical and energy-efficient but also enjoyable places to live. We are delighted with the progress to date and to be able to mark the installation of the timber frames which represents an important milestone in the 61-week programme.”

Mark Hart, Joint Managing Director at Barnes Construction added:

“We are pleased to be involved in this high specification project, which not only meets rigorous energy efficient design standards, but also supports the housing needs of the Girton community”. 

Almshouses are subject to different legal arrangements from private, council or housing association tenancies. Residents are ‘appointees’, not ‘tenants’, live in the house under licence and pay a maintenance contribution, not rent. As they are almshouses there is no ‘right-to-buy’ or opportunity for shared equity. With GTC almshouses, residency is limited to a maximum of three years except for those over the age of 55 or in the case of disability.

www.girtontowncharity.org.uk

Photo above: Marking a milestone at Dovehouse Court, left to right: Jamie Saunders, Director, Northmores; Mark Hart, Joint Managing Director, Barnes Construction; Ian Bramwell, Senior Associate, Mole Architects; Ann Bonnett, Chair Girton Town Charity; and Matthew Ramplin, Contracts Manager, Barnes Construction.

Posted 7 February 22