A living legacy

They might not have met too often – Fountaine, born in 1639, left his home in the village of Linton, near Grassington, for London as a young man and died in Enfield a millionaire, at the age of 81; Mr Metcalfe arrived in Linton at the age of nine months in 1938 and farmed there all his adult life – but both had the welfare of people in their parish not so fortunate as themselves at heart.

More importantly, both gave generously in different ways to ensure that charity began close to home, has continued down the centuries and will go on into the future at what are known locally as Linton Cottages but were, in the beginning, almshouses. Their legacy stands, as it has since 1721, overlooking the village green in Linton, a magnificent, cupola-topped Palladian building, said by some to have been designed by the great Sir John Vanbrugh – architect of Castle Howard and Blenheim Palace – but by others to be a creation of Vanbrugh's assistant Nicholas Hawksmoor.

This is Fountaine's Hospital, build at the explicit request of Richard Fountaine to house the poor of the ancient parish of Linton, which also includes the townships of Grassington, Threshfield and Hebden.

Fountaine made his fortune as a timber merchant, having been in the right place at the perfect time to make a fortune, first from supplying the planks to make the coffins needed during the Great Plague of 1665 then by providing the timber for the rebuilding of the city after the Great Fire 12 months later. He became a member of the Merchants' Guild and tradition has it that he served as an Alderman of the City of London but he never forgot his roots and his family's tradition for good works in Upper Wharfedale – his uncle Matthew Hewitt having endowed the first grammar school in Threshfield.

He left instructions for a hospital – using the word in the contemporary sense of refuge – in his will for the benefit of "the poor of the community" along with strict instructions as to how his bequest was to be administered down the years.

He assigned funds for the purchase of agricultural land – measured then and for years afterwards in acres, roods and perches – to be leased to farmers with the income being used to finance the workings of the hospital and other charitable causes in that beautiful corner of North Yorkshire. Built with millstone grit from nearby Thorpe Fell quarries, the Grade II listed hospital originally incorporated four blocks of living accommodation – two further cottages were added in 1892 – and a small but welcoming chapel, Fountaine laying down instructions that the residents must attend prayers regularly or risk expulsion.

He decreed that the recipients of his generosity would be provided with clothing in the form of a blue gown with green lining and that grants would be made available to help apprentices in the parish further their training as well as provide such assistance for others in the area who needed it. He ensured funds were available to pay the Rector of Linton a fee "provided he says prayers twice a week in the chapel".

To be certain his terms and conditions were met, Fountaine's management instructions were sealed in perpetuity as a codicil to his will which included the provision that his hospital be administered by a board of trustees, one to be elected to represent each of the four townships and a further eight to be co-opted.

Today, under the auspices of the Charities Commission, suitably amended to match changing times and demands, Richard Fountaine's commandments still hold firm, which is where Bryan Metcalfe comes into the story.

One of two sons of Teddy Metcalfe, who was a prominent farmer in Linton and for many years a trustee of Fountaine's Hospital, Bryan would have loved to have been an auctioneer. "It didn't work out," he says with the over-and-done-with finality which is habit among those

who have worked the land for most of their lives.

He followed his father and brother into farming and has lived for the past 40 years in what was once an ancient barn, just across Linton Beck from the village green, the hospital and the Fountaine Arms, where he pulled plenty of pints in his days and nights as part-time barman.

As well as his father, his wife Jane's Auntie Kat was a trustee and for many years chairman and they, along with their colleagues, had overseen improvements to the almshouse accommodation down the years.

One of their successes was the refurbishment in 1994 of the chapel, which offers a wonderful view of Rylstone Fell through the altar window. "We are still paying off the loan we took out for that," says Bryan.

He became chairman of the trustees nine years ago and his first task in 2002 was updating the premises. "They were habitable but old-fashioned. We wanted to put in proper kitchens and bathrooms but needed some 195,00 to complete

the work.

"I went to see Anthony Leaske, the chairman of the Almshouse Association, who was visiting Leeds, and they offered us an interest-free loan – which we gratefully accepted. Craven District Council gave us a grant and we begged and scrounged the rest."

Services are held every Tuesday and 8am monthly communion often attracts more worshippers than the "other" place of worship in the village, the12th century Church of St Michael and All Angels, itself one of the jewels of the Dales.

The charity Richard Fountaine bequeathed is a now vibrant part of village life but still the benefactor's rules are followed. "The houses in the hospital are open to anyone over the age of 60 who has lived in the parish for two years or more.

"There is no waiting list or putting down names; it is a matter of waiting for a vacancy – until someone leaves the area or dies – then we advertise.

"We had one woman who said she had been coming to the village for

over 40 years to visit her sister; did that make her eligible? We had to say sorry, but no."

Residents do not pay rent, instead they make a weekly contribution to running costs, 25 for a single-bedroom house, 30 for a double, but Bryan and his colleagues have had to keep pace with the demographic changes.

"A few years ago someone who was only just over 60 might have appeared to be an old lady or man; today we have a resident who is 87 and does all the gardening. There is the issue of what constitutes 'the poor of the community'.

"We have elderly people who sell their houses and so have cash but they have no assets; we have people who have lost their wife or husband. They need help and we can provide it."

But help does not overspill into care. "As trust members we have to be careful not to get involved with the residents.

"They have the keys; they look after themselves; they are living their own lives in their own homes."

The trust's investments comfortably yield sufficient funds to uphold Fountaine's concept. "We are now in the position where we are looking to buy more land," says Bryan, whose last acquisition in the role of chairman of trustees was 31 acres at Calton, near Airton.

The trust's investments have allowed them to make several grants in recent years, to local schools, the playgroup and the friendship club and to give away 2,500 – in lots of 35 each – to people in need of a little help at Christmas and even increase the sum laid down by Fountaine to assist apprentices, raised from 12-a-year to 50.

"Our investments are not there to make money, they are to help the people of the area whenever and wherever we can. Richard Fountaine set up a wonderful thing and the continuity has worked so well.

"The trust is something I never wanted to go wrong and I've done my best to keep things running as smoothly as I could."

Now Bryan has stepped down and his place as chairman has been taken by Peter Hodge from Hebden, the father of Olympic gold-medal winning

oarsman Andy.

"He is as passionate as I am about Fountaine's Hospital and I know the trust is in good hands," added Mr Metcalfe, who takes with him as a reminder of his work for one of Yorkshire's oldest institutions, the heartfelt description of Fountaine's Hospital by one resident: "It's paradise wi t'door locked."

Thanks to Bryan Metcalfe, his colleagues and their successors it will remain so.