{"id":35443,"date":"2025-12-09T11:05:14","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T17:05:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bbrown.com\/?post_type=insight&p=35443"},"modified":"2026-03-13T05:43:45","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T10:43:45","slug":"exploring-the-history-of-almshouses","status":"publish","type":"insight","link":"https:\/\/www.bbrown.com\/uk\/insight\/exploring-the-history-of-almshouses\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring the History of Almshouses"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row row_style=”page-hero” row_padding_top=”pt-0″ row_padding_bottom=”pb-5″ full_width=”stretch_row_content” css=”.vc_custom_1750779657728{padding-bottom: 200px !important;}” el_class=”bg-brand-linear-gradient-vertical”][vc_column]\n\t

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\n Exploring the History of Almshouses\n <\/h1>\n\t\n <\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_section section_padding_top=”pt-3″ section_padding_bottom=”pb-3″ full_width=”stretch_row” el_class=”overflow-visible”][vc_row row_padding_top=”pt-4″ el_class=”overflow-visible overlapping-row”][vc_column el_class=”overlapping-column”][vc_single_image image=”35448″ img_size=”1082×439″ alignment=”center” css=”” el_class=”brand-rounded-corners-right”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_row row_padding_top=”pt-0″ row_padding_bottom=”pb-0″][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Almshouses have been a part of the UK social landscape for over 1,000 years and are often misunderstood or overlooked as an integral element of modern housing to this day.<\/p>\n

What are Almshouses, Almshouse charities, and what is the history behind them? In this blog, we\u2019ll explore all of these and more, as well as some insight into our insurance for Almshouses and how this works.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_padding_bottom=”pb-1″][vc_column]\n

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\n What are Almshouses?\n <\/h2>\n\t\n <\/div>[vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=””]Almshouses are a type of residential accommodation, usually a house or flat, that is owned by a charity and used solely as accommodation for those in need. They are often referred to as charitable housing, and Almshouse charities who own them are usually established specifically for the ownership and running of the homes.<\/p>\n

Almshouses are occupied by members of the public in need of housing that they are unable to acquire otherwise \u2013 usually due to being in \u201cneed, hardship, or distress\u201d. Almshouses are often a way for individuals struggling financially to recover and get back on their feet.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_padding_bottom=”pb-1″][vc_column]\n

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\n What Is the History of Almshouses?\n <\/h2>\n\t\n <\/div>[vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=””]Almshouses<\/a> are considered the oldest example of social housing. The first Almshouse is commonly thought to be the Hospital of St Oswald in Worcester, founded around 990 AD. In medieval times, Almshouses were called \u2018hospitals\u2019 or \u2018bed houses\u2019 and were often owned by religious groups whose goal was to care for the poor and elderly.<\/p>\n

In the span of around 500 years, there grew to be around 800 Almshouse charities and homes scattered across Britain, however the dissolution of many monasteries by King Henry VII I meant that many of the homes were sold off or left unoccupied. It wasn\u2019t until the late sixteenth century that the practice of Almshouses<\/a> began to pick up again, founded by hospitals. In the Victorian period, living conditions in towns and cities began to decline, which motivated wealthy benefactors to fund or create new Almshouses for those in need.<\/p>\n

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There are hundreds of Almshouses still in use today, and many of these still retain historical features, or are being restored or extended to continue to provide help to those in need.<\/p>\n

The history of Almshouses is long and steeped in altruism. They continue to stand as a symbol of security and kindness, and many Almshouse charities across the UK continue this important work and support the vulnerable in society.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s for this reason that having specific and comprehensive insurance for Almshouses<\/a> is vitally important.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column]\n

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\n Almshouse Charity Insurance\n <\/h2>\n\t\n <\/div>[vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=””]At Brown & Brown, we understand that every Almshouse and Almshouse charity is different, which is why we\u2019ve partnered with Ecclesiastical to provide bespoke insurance for Almshouses that covers you for your insurance needs.<\/p>\n

Our specialist charity insurance brokers are on hand to help find the appropriate cover for you. From buildings and trustees contents insurance to public liability, and trustee indemnity cover, our Almshouse charity insurance can help protect it.<\/p>\n

To find out more about our insurance for Almshouses, get in touch with our specialist and friendly team on 01458 675 501<\/a> or fill in our Request a Quote form<\/a> today[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_id=”form”][vc_column]\n

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[vc_row row_style=”page-hero” row_padding_top=”pt-0″ row_padding_bottom=”pb-5″ full_width=”stretch_row_content” css=”.vc_custom_1750779657728{padding-bottom: 200px !important;}” el_class=”bg-brand-linear-gradient-vertical”][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_section section_padding_top=”pt-3″ section_padding_bottom=”pb-3″ full_width=”stretch_row” el_class=”overflow-visible”][vc_row row_padding_top=”pt-4″ el_class=”overflow-visible overlapping-row”][vc_column el_class=”overlapping-column”][vc_single_image image=”35448″ img_size=”1082×439″ alignment=”center” css=”” el_class=”brand-rounded-corners-right”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_row row_padding_top=”pt-0″ row_padding_bottom=”pb-0″][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Almshouses have been a part of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":35448,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"insight_category":[133],"class_list":["post-35443","insight","type-insight","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","insight_category-thought-leadership"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nExploring the History of Almshouses - Brown & Brown<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Find out about the history of Almshouses, how they work, and their rich history spanning over 1,000 years. 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