The Barrow Almshouses, St Asaph

button-theme-womenLink to French translationThe Barrow Almshouses, High Street, St Asaph

Victorian photo of almshouses widows

Almshouses were erected at this site c.1680. They were named after Isaac Barrow, then Bishop of St Asaph, who donated £12 for their construction. You can read more about him on our page about his grave, which is outside St Asaph Cathedral.

The almshouses were rebuilt in 1795 by Bishop Bagot. They provided living accommodation for eight poor widows, four each from the local parishes of Llanerch and Cefn Meiriadog. The Bishop of St Asaph would allocate the homes, in consultation with the Dean and local families. The door in the centre of the frontage led into a narrow courtyard, from which each of the residents had independent access to their homes.

In the 1880s and 1890s there were allegations that deserving women were being denied a place in the almshouses because they were Nonconformist, with priority given to women who attended Anglican services. However, in 1889 the vicar said there were four Anglicans and four Nonconformists in the Almshouses.

One of the inhabitants, Mrs Elizabeth Davies, was 97 years old when she died in 1910. She was thought to be St Asaph’s oldest resident. Before the death of her daughter, aged 62, in 1906, five generations of the same family were alive at the same time.

The last women moved out c.1930. The building became the Barrow Arms public house, and later the Barrow Restaurant.

Postcode: LL17 0RD    View Location Map

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