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This was a really enjoyable one. Don't think it has ever been done before and can't find any pictures of this beautifully decaying row of alms-houses anywhere on the web. Found them using the massively useful "Buildings at Risk" register. I knew they were there and what they used to look like in their heyday (see below):
Longford_Almshouses by HughieDW, on Flickr
But what we were faced with when we rocked up to them after parking in the delightful Derbyshire village of Longford and headed north on a footpath in the general direction of the delightful Longford Hall. After a short walk along a very boggy footpath the alms houses presented themselves in a small coppice to the right of the footpath, hemmed in by a gushing stream to the east. Here's the history bit:
The row of six alms-house cottages were built in the early C19 for the Cokes of Longford Hall, a 16th-century country house at Longford in the Dales district of Derbyshire. Situated in the grounds of Hall, they fell into disrepair and were abandoned in the 1960s, but the liability for them stayed with the Longford Estate. When it was sold to remove the liability, a payment was made to the Sir Robert Coke's Almshouses charity, thus maintaining a tradition of providing affordable housing that dates back to its creation by the Coke family in 1688.
In terms of the six almshouses themselves, they are built in redbrick with stone dressings and, before their collapse, they had plain tiled roofs with brick saw-tooth, eaves band and brick-ridge chimney stacks (three in total - one per pair of cottages). The single storey dwellings had a single bay. Other notable features include door-cases of stone with staff moulded edge and panelled doors (only one remains - see below). Inside each cottage there was simple stone fireplace and bed recess.
The Grade II Listed cottages were first placed on the "Buildings at risk Register" on 10th April 1980 and removed due to being "ruinous, beyond redemption" on 22nd August 2011to let nature take its path.
Explored with non-member GazzaM. Here's the pictures:
The row of alms-houses are now surrounded by trees:
img3997 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3986 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3972 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3975 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3998 by HughieDW, on Flickr
The one and only door that remains:
img3964 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Window that needs a bit of work!
img4005 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Door and window of one cottage:
img3980 by HughieDW, on Flickr
And another that still has its stone lintel in place
img3967 by HughieDW, on Flickr
This smaller window has a more standard brick arch:
img3976 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Here's the old range in one cottage;
img3977 by HughieDW, on Flickr
And another:
img3984 by HughieDW, on Flickr
This one has less left:
img3978 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3993 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3990 by HughieDW, on Flickr
The end cottage is the worst-for-wear:
img3968 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3969 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3988 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img4000 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Thanks for looking!
Longford_Almshouses by HughieDW, on FlickrBut what we were faced with when we rocked up to them after parking in the delightful Derbyshire village of Longford and headed north on a footpath in the general direction of the delightful Longford Hall. After a short walk along a very boggy footpath the alms houses presented themselves in a small coppice to the right of the footpath, hemmed in by a gushing stream to the east. Here's the history bit:
The row of six alms-house cottages were built in the early C19 for the Cokes of Longford Hall, a 16th-century country house at Longford in the Dales district of Derbyshire. Situated in the grounds of Hall, they fell into disrepair and were abandoned in the 1960s, but the liability for them stayed with the Longford Estate. When it was sold to remove the liability, a payment was made to the Sir Robert Coke's Almshouses charity, thus maintaining a tradition of providing affordable housing that dates back to its creation by the Coke family in 1688.
In terms of the six almshouses themselves, they are built in redbrick with stone dressings and, before their collapse, they had plain tiled roofs with brick saw-tooth, eaves band and brick-ridge chimney stacks (three in total - one per pair of cottages). The single storey dwellings had a single bay. Other notable features include door-cases of stone with staff moulded edge and panelled doors (only one remains - see below). Inside each cottage there was simple stone fireplace and bed recess.
The Grade II Listed cottages were first placed on the "Buildings at risk Register" on 10th April 1980 and removed due to being "ruinous, beyond redemption" on 22nd August 2011to let nature take its path.
Explored with non-member GazzaM. Here's the pictures:
The row of alms-houses are now surrounded by trees:
img3997 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg3986 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg3972 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg3975 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg3998 by HughieDW, on FlickrThe one and only door that remains:
img3964 by HughieDW, on FlickrWindow that needs a bit of work!
img4005 by HughieDW, on FlickrDoor and window of one cottage:
img3980 by HughieDW, on FlickrAnd another that still has its stone lintel in place
img3967 by HughieDW, on FlickrThis smaller window has a more standard brick arch:
img3976 by HughieDW, on FlickrHere's the old range in one cottage;
img3977 by HughieDW, on FlickrAnd another:
img3984 by HughieDW, on FlickrThis one has less left:
img3978 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg3993 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg3990 by HughieDW, on FlickrThe end cottage is the worst-for-wear:
img3968 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg3969 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg3988 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg4000 by HughieDW, on FlickrThanks for looking!
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