Money was bequeathed in the will of local manufacturer George Woofinden for charitable causes. It was the largest such bequeath at its time. Part of it was used to construct and endow these almshouses at Hunters Bar. Eighteen dwellings separated by a central reading room were constructed in the shape of a crescent in 1899. Two more were added in 1912. The houses are surrounded by a boundary wall separated from the grounds by the Porter Brook. The houses and grounds retain the original layout and character. The garden has historical significance demonstrating the role of public benefactors in maintaining green spaces in densely urban areas. The area was undeveloped prior to the almshouses probably forming valley floor meadows along the base of the Porter Brook. Legibility is invisible.