Summary

Three blocks of almshouses which form part of the Greenway's Almshouses and built to the south of the earlier building; the EAST and WEST blocks were built in 1838. The SOUTH block, first built in 1889 and rebuilt in 2004 is not included in the listing, nor is the brick C20 almshouse range attached to the EAST block.

Description

Three blocks of almshouses which form part of the Greenway's Almhouse Trust and built to the south of the earlier building; the EAST and WEST blocks were built in 1838. The SOUTH block, first built in 1889 and rebuilt in 2004 is not included in the listing, nor is the brick C20 almshouse range attached to the EAST block.

MATERIALS: the EAST and WEST block are constructed of local purple stone, with brick chimney stacks, natural slate roofs and some cast-iron rain water goods.

PLAN: the EAST and WEST blocks are parallel ranges facing each other on a north-to-south alignment.

EXTERIOR: the EAST and WEST blocks are two storeys. They each have seven bays with a ground-floor central door way and a symmetrical set of three bays on either side comprising a door and flanking windows. The first floor has six windows. The timber casements and half-glazed entrance doors are all C20 replacements. The original openings are topped by flat arches with keystones. The WEST block has a central stone panel that reads ‘THESE ALMSHOUSES WERE BUILT A.D.1838 W HOLE & R BAKER WARDENS, J PERKINS & R SEWARD BUILDERS’. Below is another panel that reads ‘GREENWAYS/ THESE ALMSHOUSES WITH/ WALDRONS AND SLEES/ WERE REMODELLED AND/ CONVERTED FROM ONE ROOM/ QUARTERS INTO FLATS/ 1952-1955’. The pitched slate roofs are topped by brick ridge stacks. A two-storey extension was added on the EAST block in 1997. A pair of two-storey extensions was added to the rear of the WEST block in 2000.

INTERIOR: all of the ranges have modernised interiors arranged as a mixture of flats and houses.

History

John Greenway (circa 1460 -1529) was a Tiverton merchant who exported West Country cloth to Europe and was a member of the Drapers’ Company and the Merchant Ventures’ Company in London. A progressive employer, in the early C16 he financed the construction of a set of almshouses and adjoining chapel in Tiverton. Most sources state that it was founded in to 1529, the year that Greenway died, however, others suggest it was in 1517. The building provided accommodation for up to five of his retired employees. Each occupant had two rooms and a garden, and received eight pence a week. In return they were expected to pray daily in the chapel for the souls of John Greenway and his wife, Joan: an inscription instructing this practice can still be seen on the chapel. The Almshouse was later converted to office use.

In 1838 two parallel stone ranges were built, within the grounds to the rear, by J Perkins and R Seward for the trust wardens, W Hole and R Baker. A further brick range with a timber clad front was added further to the south in 1889 for wardens, J F Enterton and W Glendinning. The single-room quarters were converted into flats between 1952 and 1955. All of the windows and doors to the ranges were renewed in the late C20/ early C21. In 2004 the south range was demolished and rebuilt in the same style and on the same footprint, reusing some of the original building materials in the brick and timber frame elevations. At the same time thirty-two new flats were also constructed within the grounds. The rebuilt southern block, and the late C20 and early C21 almshouse buildings are not of special interest.

Reasons for Listing

Nos. 4-7 and 10-12 Greenway’s Almshouses, John Greenway, are listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural interest: they are of a modest, yet good quality, vernacular design that is fitting given their charitable purpose, utilising local stone that complement the original C16 range;
* Historic interest: they form part of an historic almshouse complex which was founded in the early-C16 by the local merchant John Greenway;
* Group value: the almshouses have group value with the original almshouse and chapel (Grade II) and the converted former C19 workshop (Grade II).

Selected Sources

• Cherry, B, Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Devon, (2002), 814-815

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