Fordham Almshouses Broom

 
Fordham Almshouses 1977 [Z50/106/7]

The Janet Fordham Memorial Almshouses were built in 1913 by Rupert Oswald Fordham, owner of the Broom Hall Estate, in memory of his second wife. They were listed by the former Department of Environment in 1979 as Grade II, of special interest. The Department considered that Fordham may have designed them himself as he was an amateur architect, it noted: "An important feature of the façade is the wave-shaped eaves line".

Plaque on Almshouses March 2008

In 1927 Broom was valued under the Rating Valuation Act 1925; every piece of land and building in the country was assessed to determine the rates to be paid on it. The valuer visiting the almshouses [DV1/C153/71-73] noted that they were occupied by J.Faulkner, D.W.Bond and Mrs.E.Cowland. Each house had the same internal layout which consisted of a living room, kitchen, pantry and hall downstairs with two bedrooms and a box room above, outside of each was a barn and earth closet. The valuer commented: "Difficult to measure. Given to the oldest inhabitants of the Village!"

Fordham Almshouses March 2008