More than £1m is needed over the next five years if Abingdon's 32 almshouses - some built in the 15th century - are to be preserved.

The historic buildings, which provide homes for 30 elderly residents, are beginning to show signs of deterioration.

Reroofing is the biggest problem but there are also signs of fabric deterioration.

In some kitchens and bathrooms need refurbishing and work is needed on damp-proofing and rewiring.

More than £200,000 is to be spent in the spring on re- roofing and strengthening the roof of the seven alms- houses and the oak-panelled main hall at Long Alley, the oldest properties, built in 1446, with later additions, near St Helen's Church.

The roof was last repaired 80 years ago.

All the almhouses - Long Alley, Wharf, Brick Alley and Mr Twitty's near St Helen's, St John's in The Vineyard, and Tomkins's almshouses in Ock Street -- are owned and run by Christ's Hospital, the oldest charity in Oxfordshire and 39th oldest in the country.

It is still helping families and individuals in need 454 years after it was formed.

The Master of Christ's Hospital, Geoffrey Morris, said: "Abingdon's almshouses are listed buildings and are among the finest in the country, so it's vital that they're preserved.

"Time has taken its toll and we need to carry out a programme of refurbishment over the next five years, costing about £1m."

The money will come from a mixture of sources, the charity's own funds and grants. An application has been made to Heritage Lottery and to the Almshouse Association.

The charity gets its income from endowments and investments from properties and land it owns.

In addition to the alms- houses, Christ's Hospital owns and maintains Albert Park, supports primary schools, provides financial help for disadvantaged children and works with the town's Monday Club for disabled people and with the Abingdon Bridge drugs project.

Mr Morris said: "There are growing demands on our budget all the time and it's getting more difficult each year.

"We need to spend £1m on renovating the almshouses and will be appealing for help from many sources.

"Our income is sufficient to meet our normal expenditure, but if we use our capital, we reduce our income."

The roots of Christ's Hospital stretch back to the medieval Guild of the Holy Cross, a mutual self-help society helping its members who fell on hard times. That underlying ethos still prevails in its work today.