Wright's Almshouses, Nantwich

The adjacent stone archway of 1667, which Nikolaus Pevsner describes as the "best" feature of the almshouses, is also listed separately at grade II*, together with its associated wall.

[4] The deed of 20 August 1638 establishing the almshouses stated that they were founded "out of his pious intention and charitable disposition towards the poor inhabitants of Wich Malbank".

[5] They were originally located at the far end of Hospital Street and the start of London Road on land that had once been associated with the Hospice of St Nicholas.

Numerous rules governed the behaviour of the charity recipients, and fines, suspension or even expulsion for infractions are all recorded.

Twice-daily prayers and (for the able bodied), regular attendance at church services were required, while the rules prohibited marriage, "swearing, Drunkenness, and all such scandalous Vices" and keeping "any Woman as an Harlot".

[7] In 1666–68, a stone gateway and an inscribed tablet with a coat of arms were added by the trustees at a total cost of just over £4, paid for by keeping some of the houses vacant.

[5] As the charity's endowment was fixed at £32, the pension did not increase from the original 20 shillings quarterly, except in being supplemented with a weekly sixpenny loaf from 1795.

By the early 19th century, it proved entirely inadequate; some pensioners left the almshouses for the workhouse, while others "died in great poverty and neglect".

[5] A gift from William Sprout in 1829 increased the pension to £10 annually, improving the standard of living from the original foundation.

[9] Wright's Almshouses is a terrace of six cottages with two low storeys, in red brick with sandstone dressings under a tiled roof.

[10] The arched stone gateway is flanked by Tuscan columns resting on pedestals, and has prominent side scrolls, one of which has been restored.

[2] A modern commemorative tablet in the wall to the left of the archway records the amalgamation of the almshouse charities; it was dedicated on 24 November 1973.