Vachel Almshouses
Vachel Almshouses is a terrace of almshouses in the town of Reading in the English county of Berkshire.
| Vachel Almshouses | |
|---|---|
 Vachel Almshouses in 2011 | |
  Location within Reading Town Centre | |
| Former names | St Mary’s Almshouses |
| General information | |
| Status | Grade II listed[1] |
| Type | Almshouses |
| Architectural style | Vernacular |
| Address | Almshouses, Castle Street Reading Berkshire United Kingdom RG1 7SS |
| Coordinates | 51.45228°N 0.976034°W |
| Completed | 1867[2] |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 2 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | W H Woodman |
History
Plaque from original building
In 1634 almshouses were built in St Mary's Butts, which were called 'St Mary's Almshouses'. The almshouses were built by Thomas Vachel. A plaque fixed on the building reads:
Sr. Thomas Vachel Kt. erected there Alms-Houses Anno Dom. 1634, and endow'd them with Forty Pounds p. Annum for ever for the Maintenance of Six Poor Men.[2]
They were demolished in 1867 and replaced with new buildings at a new location in Castle Hill, with money coming from the sale of the land. The new almshouses were renamed Vachel Almshouses after Thomas Vachel. They were designed by architect William Henry Woodman. The Almshouses were modernised in 1960–62.[3][4]
References
- "Vachel Almhouses 1-32, Reading, Reading". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
- "Vachel Almshouses". Flickr. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
- "St Mary's Almshouses". Julian Walker. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
- "Almshouses". Reading History Trail. Archived from the original on 26 February 2009. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
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