They have been in existence for more than 1000 years, with the oldest surviving one opened as far back as 990 in Worcester in order to provide a home for the infirm, needy and vulnerable.

But charitable almshouses are now being built at their fastest rate in decades, with a thousand new homes being created in the last 10 years, so much so they are being seen as an effective way of helping to tackle the shortage of social housing.

The Almshouse Association says it has recorded the biggest spike in development of housing run by charities since the Victorian era, with more being built to offer accommodation for elderly people who struggle financially in their retirement.

The oldest almshouse still in existence is the Hospital of St Oswald, in Worcester, which was founded in 990. There are 30,000 other individual almshouse homes dotted around the country, often built around a communal courtyard or garden, providing homes for 36,000 people.

Now another 700 are being built or are in the pipeline, with extensions of existing buildings and new developments in places such as Southwark, south London; Wokingham; the North East and Colchester.