People of all ages and interests can discover for themselves what life was like for 19th-century paupers.
Film
In the introductory film you will meet the Reverend Becher who will introduce the philosophy behind the Workhouse and help to bring to life visually the bleak, hard existence of the inmates.
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The Wash House display
The Wash House display in the reinstated building examines who lived and worked at the Workhouse and explores the admissions and segregation process.
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Explore
Inside the Workhouse you can explore the atmosphere of the original dormitories, day rooms and staff quarters, redecorated as they were in the mid-19th-century, but without modern displays or replica furniture. Original workhouse furniture from the 19th-century does not survive but while we can't give you the furniture - we can give you the stories!
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Dormitory
See a fully recreated mid-19th-century dormitory with replica beds. Next door, a surviving 1970's bedsit for the temporarily homeless has been refurbished, to reflect the building's most recent welfare use.
©NTPL / Dennis Gilbert
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Audio guide
You will use an audio guide to tour the building and hear the stories of the different people who once inhabited it. The audio guide, based on the archives, will introduce the personalities at the Workhouse and provide a sense of atmosphere.
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Hands-on History
In Hands-on History see the wider development of workhouses through time and geographically across the country. Search for former workhouses near your own home and see material on display including discoveries made on site during repair work carried out by the National Trust. You can also hear oral history recordings made by the National Trust capturing the voices of people who lived and worked at the Workhouse from the 1920's.
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What now? What next?
In What now? What next? You can explore modern alternatives to the workhouse and examine related contemporary issues.
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How ‘the other half’ lived
The Workhouse at Southwell served a number of rural parishes and in a new display, visitors will be able to compare what living conditions would have been like for paupers in Nottingham during the late 19th and early 20th century.
©NTPL / Dennis Gilbert
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Meet the paupers
Meet some of the “characters” who lived at the Workhouse in the 19th century (first Monday of every month).
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Family visits
Discover more about the history of the building through the audio tour (suitable for age 7 and above) and try your hand at the "The Master's Punishment" - throw the dice in each room to find out what your punishment or reward is! You can also try on costumes - from clogs and waistcoats to bonnets and aprons - and have a go at building the Workhouse with a large jigsaw model. Younger visitors can also use the interactive computers to find out where the nearest workhouse to their home is.
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