Merchant Venturers Almshouses () is a historic building on King Street in Bristol, England. It has been designated as a Grade II* listed building.
History It was built around 1696 by the Society of Merchant Venturers for convalescent and old sailors to see out their days, often after fever or blindness during service on the ships of the Bristol slave trade. It is now private accommodation, apartments 1 to 10.
They are built of Pennant stone in an early Georgian style. The pantile hipped roof has lateral and ridge stacks. There is an oculus over the central doorway, however most of the windows are 20th-century replacements. It has scroll-bracketed door canopies at irregular angles. The Society of Merchant Venturers arms are displayed on the side of the building fronting on to Kings Street.
The almshouses were originally built around a quadrangle however bombing and road realignment mean that it is now left with only three sides. It used to be accompanied by the Merchants Hall but this was destroyed in the Bristol Blitz of World War II.
In 2014 a long lease for the almshouses was signed for £620,000.
The plaque on the wall is a poem: "Freed from all storms the tempest and the rage Of billows, here we spend our age. Our weather beaten vessels here repair And from the Merchants' kind and generous care Find harbour here; no more we put to sea Until we launch into Eternity. And lest our Widows whom we leave behind Should want relief, they too a shelter find. Thus all our anxious cares and sorrows cease Whilst our kind Guardians turn our toils to ease. May they be with an endless Sabbath blest Who have afforded unto us this rest."
Archives Records of Merchant Venturers' Almshouse are held at Bristol Archives (Ref. SMV/4/1) (online catalogue).
See also Grade II* listed buildings in Bristol List of British almshouses
References
External links
Society of Merchant Venturers