Image: Front of the Workhouse by David Kissman
Following its annual winter conservation clean, the National Trust’s Workhouse & Infirmary in Southwell will reopen to the public on Wednesday 19 February, in time for half term.
Visitors are invited to put their detective hat on and take part in a family-friendly children’s trail, The Workhouse Whodunit, uncovering the mystery of who broke the rules and what punishment they received.
Visitors can also take a step back in time with Tales of The Workhouse on Thursday 20 and Saturday 22 February. Through encounters with the costumed characters, learn about what life was like for the inmates who lived here.
Property Operations Manager, Victoria Mason-Hines says “Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist painted a bleak picture of life in the workhouse. However, our focus here is to show that although harsh and monotonous, aspects such as education, medical care or diet may have been better for the poor than in their own homes. The Workhouse not only tells a powerful and enlightening story of how it provided for the poorest in society but how it was pivotal in the development of our national health and welfare system”.
She continues, “Digital media, personal objects, and the stories of those who lived and worked here help to bring the history of The Workhouse to life. Younger visitors will find plenty of hands-on activities to enjoy like weighing ingredients in the kitchen, writing on slate in the school room, and experiencing the jobs of the paupers, as well as handling items, sitting on the beds, and dressing up”.
The Workhouse is open Wednesday – Sunday with additional days in Nottinghamshire school holidays. Full opening times, alongside details of weekly and monthly walks, seasonal events, and activities, can be found on the website at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/theworkhouse
Posted on 14 February 2025
