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The Workhouse
Travel Information and nearby accommodation
Probably the best preserved workhouse in England, the Southwell Workhouse is a reminder of those not-too-fondly remembered days when poor families were forced to live and work in harsh conditions in a forerunner of our modern welfare system.
The Workhouse is a huge building, constructed in 1824 by Rev John Becher of Southwell as a residence for the poor. Becher's workhouse was one of the first in what later became a nationwide system of housing for the poor. The system invoked by Becher was adopted in the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act to create a harsh welfare system through the erection of similar workhouses across the country.
Before Becher's time, each parish was esponsible for supporting the poor in their own homes. Becher and his associate, George Nicholls, created a system which invited parishes to pool their resources to operate housing for the poor. The Workhouse - originally called the Thurgarton Hundred Incorporated Workhouse and later the Southwell Union Workhouse - was home to 158 inhabitants, drawn from 49 nearby parishes. The inmates used the Workhouse as a place of last resort - and its not hardto see why when you consider the life they were expected to lead. Men, women, and children had separate qurters, which meant that families were split up and not allowed to meet. The children received rudimentary education, and some were made to work. Becher's philosophy was that the workhouses should be a deterrent to an idle or profligate lifestyle, and the harsh reality of workhouse life was meant to encourage people to avoid this port of last call if at all possible. Following the example of Becher's Workhouse, hundreds of similar houses were opened across the country.
The Workhouse was in operation for over 150 years. In 1929 a new Poor Law was introduced, and many of the old workhouses were converted into hospitals or social housing.
In 1997 Southwell Workhouse was in danger of being converted into flats, when the Natiinal Trust stepped in to buy it. It remains the least alltered poor house in the country, and a symbol of a way of life for thousands of our ancestors. An audio guide gives modern visitors a chance to 'meet' workhouse inhabitants and learn about their lives.
Upton Road,
Southwell,
Nottinghamshire,
England, NG25 0PT
About The Workhouse
Attraction Type: Historic Property
Website: The Workhouse
National Trust
Location
map
OS SK712543
Photo Credit: Andy Stephenson, licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Licence
Heritage Rating:  ?
Nearest Accommodation to The Workhouse
Nearest Self Catering Cottages |
 The Granary -
9.1
miles from The Workhouse
Newark, Nottinghamshire
Sleeps: 6
Stay from: £300 |
 Baker House -
17
miles from The Workhouse
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Sleeps: 5
Stay from: £295 |
 The Briars -
19.9
miles from The Workhouse
Oakerthorpe, Derbyshire
Sleeps: 2
Stay from: £153 |
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Nearest Tourist
Information Centre
Newark
Tourist Information Centre
The Gilstrap Centre
Castlegate
Newark
Nottinghamshire
England
NG24 1BG
Tel: 01636 655765
Fax: 01636 655767
Email: gilstrap@nsdc.info
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