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Atmospheric Victorian workhouse
Upton Road, Southwell, Nottinghamshire, NG25 0PT
Ticket type | Gift aid | Standard |
---|---|---|
Adult | £15.40 | £14.00 |
Child | £7.70 | £7.00 |
Family | £38.50 | £35.00 |
1 adult, up to 3 children | £23.10 | £21.00 |
Second-hand bookshop.
Dogs are allowed in the car park and front field but are not permitted in the house or garden. Assistance dogs only in the house and garden.
Café located in Firbeck Infirmary. Indoor and outdoor seating available. The café is open for hot and cold drinks, soup, pasties, snacks, cakes and ice cream. Other than in the cafe, food and drink is not permitted inside the buildings.
Guided tour available on a first-come first-served basis at 11am each day of opening. Guided tour not guaranteed.
Free parking, 200 yards from Workhouse in visitor car park
Toilets are available at visitor reception and in Firbeck Infirmary. There are not toilets available in The Workhouse main building.
Blue Badge parking. Accessible toilets. Ramped entrances. Upper floors are stairs only. Partly accessible outdoors route.
There are a few areas with narrow access in the workhouse main building.
13 miles from Nottingham on A612 and 8 miles from Newark via A617 and A612.
Parking: Free
Sat Nav: Please note, some services such as Google Maps will not send you to our front entrance. To help, please look for The Workhouse on 'Upton Road, NG25 0PT'.
Robin Hood Way
Newark Castle 7 miles; Newark North Gate 7½ miles; Nottingham 13 miles
regular services from Newark, Nottingham and Mansfield bus stations
The Workhouse and Infirmary is a one pawprint rated place. Discover all you need to know about visiting The Workhouse and Infirmary with your dog.
Workhouse built in 1824, a last-resort refuge for the poor and destitute, now one of the best-preserved examples in the country.
Infirmary which supported ill Workhouse inmates, eventually adapting its role and response to care until decommission in the 1980s.
Various vegetable plots, orchards and rich pasture that once supplied food for Workhouse inmates, now nurtured by volunteers for purchasable produce.
Comfortable and reflective café offering hot and cold drinks, soups, sandwiches, snacks and cakes with seating indoors and outdoors.
The Midlands Textile Forum have delved into The Workhouse's history, stories and legacy to create this evocative and revealing exhibition where the concept of people is at the very heart of its design.
A knitted tribute to the NHS is being displayed at The Workhouse and Infirmary. It was created by internationally-recognised 94 year-old Margaret Seaman. Find out more about the opportunity to see this creative display today.
The Midlands Textile Forum have delved into The Workhouse's history, stories and legacy to create this evocative and revealing exhibition where the concept of people is at the very heart of its design.
Find out more about visiting The Workhouse and Infirmary, where guided tours, exhibitions and activities help bring to life the stories of the people who had to work to receive food, shelter and medical care here.
From plot to pauper plate, explore the recreated Victorian vegetable garden and admire the range of heritage varieties grown.
Entertain the whole family this autumn at The Workhouse and Infirmary. Discover unique stories in the atmospheric buildings and 'Workhouse: Live' on selected dates throughout half term, go on an adventure in the grounds and stop for a bite to eat in Firbeck Cafe. You'll also find plenty of hands-on activities for everyone to discover, from active trails to digital devices.
Located on the ground floor of Firbeck Infirmary, the café serves a range of hot and cold drinks, seasonal meals and sweet treats. Whether you’re popping by for a takeaway coffee, staying for lunch or collecting supplies for a picnic, you’ll find something that hits the spot.
Join Southwell Town Council and National Trust on a seasonal guided lantern walk exploring the grounds of the Workhouse and Infirmary.
Walking up the paupers' path towards The Workhouse it is easy to imagine how the Victorian poor might have felt as they sought refuge here. This austere building, the most complete workhouse in existence, was built in 1824 as a place of last resort for the destitute. Its architecture was influenced by prison design and its harsh regime became a blueprint for workhouses throughout the country.
This rural workhouse was designed to house around 160 inmates. They lived and worked in a strictly segregated environment with virtually no contact between the old and infirm, able-bodied men and women and children
The stories of those who lived and worked here in the 1840s help bring the building to life and prompt reflection on how society has tackled poverty through the centuries.
'An empty workhouse is a successful one' - Rev. J T Becher (founder of Southwell Workhouse)
In collaboration with family history website Findmypast, we've been exploring the 1921 Census of England and Wales. It's helped us get closer to the lives of people at The Workhouse and Infirmary, where we've revealed dozens more stories of inmates and patients from the last decade of The Workhouse era. Discover more about these stories at The Workhouse and Infirmary, as well as research from nine other places in our care. By clicking this link, you’ll access a third-party website. Please see their privacy policy for how they handle your personal data.
Learn about the concept and the history of The Workhouse and Firbeck Infirmary and the role that they played.
Take a sneak peek into the treasure trove that is the collection of The Workhouse and Infirmary and learn what these objects tell us about the history of this special place.
Discover how we care for The Workhouse, Southwell and the items in its collection, including original Victorian wallpaper from the Firbeck Infirmary.
Learn how a project to restore Firbeck Infirmary unfolded, the stories being told and how it’s helping to shape conversation about care, 150 years after it first opened.
Search for live volunteering opportunities, or register your interest with The Workhouse.
Enjoy access to more than 500 places with National Trust membership. Join today and help protect nature, beauty and history – for everyone, for ever.