The Fox Alms Houses in Norton were founded and endowed by local brewer, John Henry Fox, in 1897.
Fox built the houses just off the southern end of Norton High Street opposite his brewery in Smirkes Yard for the benefit of the older people of Norton. The cottage style houses offered accommodation to the poor, sick or elderly of the parish and were to be paid for and supported by charitable donations.
In a book dating from 1906 the Fox Alms houses were described as ‘consisting of twelve tenements of three rooms each and a caretaker’s house and were erected at a cost of about £4,000 on a site purchased in 1893 by the trustees.’ Originally there was also a detached building containing a reading room for the residents and a clerk’s office to administer the conditions of Fox’s will.
A tablet inscribed ‘The Fox Alms House 1897. Built and endowed by John Henry Fox of Norton’ can be seen on one of the houses. These Grade II Listed buildings are still Alms Houses today. They have been administered by the Hospital of God since 2008.
