The following notes are compiled to assist in showing visitors around Gray's Almshouses.  It is based on a short tour starting in the Chapel.  Supplementary explanatory information including short details of Huish Homes (4) is given after the section outlining a possible route.  A numeral in brackets indicates a supplementary note with more detailed information.

Cyril E Bond    May 2001.

The most interesting of the almshouses owned by Taunton Town Charity, one of Taunton 's oldest charities, and still in use to-day providing sheltered accommodation for pensioners.  Built in 1635 by Robert Gray, a successful business man, of brick with clay roofing tiles (it is the earliest dates example of brickwork in Somerset ). (1) The building survived the burning of the mostly timber framed East Street in the Civil War (siege of Taunton 1640's).  

Carefully restored with grants from English Heritage and the Housing Corporation and adapted to modern use, the almshouses offer eight flats and one guest room.  They retain a number of unique features including the charming 1st Century Chapel complete with oak furnishings and a naively painted ceiling depicting a starry heaven with angels peering out of the clouds. (From TDBC ' Heritage Days 2000 ' Leaflet).

The tour starts in the Chapel and the above could provide a useful concise introduction . Robert Gray (2) , a successful London Business man, born 'in Taunton on East Street, gave money and property to support, and house, ten poor women, six poor men" and to provide a Reader to teach ten poor children, to read and write in the then school-room, over the Chapel.  

The Chapel contains Gray's portrait and coat of arms.  It also records other bequests, some of which were to replace funds lost in litigation in the first part of the 18th Century.  The Chapel was used for prayers, meetings of the residents and for the payment of pensions from the large oak chest in the centre of the room.  It now contains old Bibles. Proceed to the lower corridor and turn Right noting the common room and laundry room on the left" the extensive original timber beams and paneling.  Turn Left into the garden, cross it, turn left and draw attention to the rear view of the building the tiled roof and chimney stacks and small bell tower.  

The garden is maintained communally, but was originally divided into small portions allocated to each flat.  Residents are encouraged to do some gardening if they wish.  

The wall on the left boundary formed part of what was for many years the Huish's Grammar School Headmaster's house.  The school secretary had an office at the end of the building facing the present car park.  The Huish School was built in 1892 and continued until 1964 when a replacement building was built in South Road .

The building on the far Right boundary is now licensed premises, it was once the site of Pope's Almshouses (3) which predates Gray's and when Pope's were demolished in 1932 made way for Dunn's Motors/ also now demolished.

Cross the garden and enter the block by the door at the far end of the building, watching our for the low lintel.  Ascend to the upper floor walk along the corridor note the balustrades which are all slightly different and were originally made by different apprentices . It is sometimes possible, with the residents permission to enter the flat at the end of the corridor to see the small panel of glass which was inscribed by the Craftsman who re-leaded the casement on September the 3rd 1799.  

Return and descend the staircase to the ground floor and return to the Chapel or East Street .

1 - A Grade 1 Listed Building dating back to 1635.  

The East Street front is of dark red brick with nine large chimney stacks with an old tiled roof, square bell cupola with weather vane. 3 &2 light stone mullioned windows, Three entrances with tablet above one bearing the arms of Robert Gray, dated 1635, another arms of the Merchant Tailors, Access to the dwellings by corridors along the back of each group of rooms.  Small room used as Chapel has original benches and painted ceiling.
(D of E listing).

A two storey building in brick laid in English bond on a stone plinth one hundred and thirty two feet long.  The front facade is of uniform appearance but accommodation is unequally divided.  From West to East are five rooms on each floor, a school room over a Chapel and finally three rooms on each floor.  The Western part was for women and the Eastern part for men.  

The Chapel and Western part were build in 1635, the date on a plaque with Gray's coat-of-arms, before he died, but he left money to the Merchant Tailors Company, whose arms are over another door, to complete and maintain the Alms Houses, and the Eastern end was added in 1696, this date is on a weather vane with the initials RG over the Eastern section.

Gray bought the site from Sir William Portman. (Somerset Archaeology and Natural History, 1988 - Vernacular Architecture notes).  

2 - Robert Gray 1570 to 1635.  

Monument in St Mary Magdalene's Taunton commemorates Robert Gray (e).  A life size standing figure flanked by columns which carry a segmental pediment without base. (Pevsner, N South & West Somerset, 1958).

The painted statue is mounted on the wall half way down the nave on the West wall.  Under the statue there is a poetical epitaph 'Sacred to the memory of Robert Gray, Esq.'  

There are also incidentally portraits of Robert Gray and Richard Huish in the Old Municipal Buildings on the main staircase leading to the Mayor's Pariour and upper floor.  

3 - Pope's Almshouses  

Originally stood to East of Gray's of uncertain foundation.  In the Civil Wars of Charles 1st, as it adjoined the East Gate, it suffered much, and a great part of it was burned by Lord Goring.  Lady Grace Portman left an estate in Cornwall to support it and paid for the rebuilding.  It was eventually demolished in 1933 and replaced by Dunn's Motors.  The proceeds went towards the costs of building the Leycroft Almshouses on Hamilton Road which were opened in 1932.

All enquiries should be directed to:

The Clerk to the Trustees
Taunton Town Charity
The Committee Room
Huish Homes
Magdalene Street
TAUNTON  
TA1 1SG