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Summary

Terrace of almshouses built by Thomas Mackrell in 1874 and extended in the same style in 1894.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1256722: Mackrells Almshouses, Wolborough Street

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX87SE/264
• Old Listed Building Ref (II)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ALMSHOUSE (XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Devon County Council, 1975, Newton Abbot Town Trails, 57 (Article in Monograph). SDV352459.

A long and picturesque row of stone-built houses named after Thomas Mackrell who was born in Newton Abbot. After making his fortune as a chemist in Barnstaple he bought this site, where he had played as a child, in 1874 and erected this row of almshouses. An inscription over the doorway in the centre of the row reads 'By the Grace of God/ The mackrell Alsmhouses/ Erected and Endowed/ In the year of our lord 1874'.

Department of Environment, 1983, Newton Abbot, 45 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV298253.

Mackrell's Almshouses, Wolborough Street. Erected in 1874. One storey and attics built of stone rubble. Slate roof with stone chimneystacks. Four projecting gables, the 2 centre ones with 2-light windows and entrances beneath with inscriptions, the 2 end ones are l-shaped houses, possibly for wardens, with triple window and 3-light canted bay above. All the other windows (24) are in first floor gables. Double casements with shouldered architraves. Wood and glazed verandah and gabled entrances.

Exeter Archaeology, 2001, Archaeological Assessment of Proposed Redevelopment at Wolborough Street, Newton Abbot, 2 (Report - Assessment). SDV310051.

Oakey, N. J., 2004, Bradley Lane, Newton Abbot: Desk Based Assessment, 20 (Report - Assessment). SDV338211.

Gent, T. H. + Leverett, M., 2007, Archaeological Assessment of the Proposed Redevelopment at Wolborough Street, Bank Street and East Street, Newton Abbot, 2 (Report - Assessment). SDV338207.

Ordnance Survey, 2012, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV348725.

English Heritage, 2012, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV348729.

Mackrells Allmshouses, Wolborough Street. Terrace of almshouses. 1874 by JW Rowell, extended in the same style 1894. MATERIALS: Devon limestone crazy-paving rubble, continuous slate roof with moulded rubblestone ridge stacks to party walls. PLAN: double-depth plans. EXTERIOR: one- and two- storeys with attics; symmetrical 15-window range, each house is one-window range. Plinths and rubblestone relieving arches and stone mullions to 2-light first-floor windows. Two entrance bays flanking the centre are stepped forward with wrought-iron finials to the coped gables and pierced trefoils to the apexes; transom and trefoil heads to the first-floor windows; diagonal offset buttresses below moulded string courses to the ground floor flank pointed-arched entrances with labelled hoodmoulds. The right-hand entrance has an inscription in the tympanum over a shouldered-arched opening which reads 'By the grace of God the Mackrell alms-houses built and endowed by Thomas and Sophia Mackrell, natives of Wolborough were extended by the erection of eight additional dwellings in the year of Our Lord 1894'. A similar inscription to the left-hand entrance is dated 1874. Three groups of six almshouses to each side have similar smaller gables to half dormers with shouldered arches to each 3-pane light of the first-floor windows. A low wall with chamfered coping supports moulded columns with diagonal braces to lean-to glass and slate verandah roofs between gabled and buttressed porches to each house. Three-light to the left and four-light ground-floor windows to the right have timber mullions and transoms. Larger units to each end are similar to the entrance range with 3-light windows and entrances in gabled porches to the returns. The rear is in similar style. INTERIOR: not inspected. A distinguished composition in Devonian limestone, by a noteworthy local architect. Date listed: 22nd March 1983.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4206 - Bradley Lane Assessment
• EDV4214 - Wolborough Street, Bank Street & East Street, Newton Abbot

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