Show on mapAs well as 20 elderly people, the Almhouses originally cared for 20 children / orphans
It actually still functioned as a school until as late as 1942, and the upper stalls in the chapel are covered in carved initials and dates (including 1797 in the picture below)
Its interesting to note that as you move along the balcony to where the staff would have sat, the graffiti gradually disappears until there’s none at the other end. I’m sure at the time there would have been ‘youth of today’ style comments about the vandilism, but now 200 years later its a fascinating insight.
Although its hard to imagine how you wouldn’t get caught it a fresh set of your own initials just appeared ?
there is also some grafitti scratched into some of the upstairs widows of the (now) flats. There was in the sitting room of the flat I shared there with my late mother.