Wellingborough Workhouse

Wellingborough workhouse was built in 1836-7. The building, designed by James Clephan, has Italianate features with round headed windows. Life in the workhouse was hard as this quote from Charlie Chaplin who was in and out of Lambeth Workhouse shows;

"During my incarceration Mother visited me. She had in some way managed to leave the workhouse and was making an effort to establish a home for us. Her presence was like a bouquet of flowers; she looked so fresh and lovely that I felt ashamed of my unkempt appearance and my shaved iodined head.‘You must excuse his dirty face,' said the nurse.Mother laughed, and how well I remember her endearing words as she hugged and kissed me: ‘With all thy dirt I love thee still." Charles Chaplin.

Today Wellingborough Workhouse has a happier existence being converted to flats and housing set away from the road in their own grounds. This is the first flat to have stained glass in a typical Victorian style...

Before stained glass.

Internal daytime view with brilliant cut corners.

Nighttime view - photo courtesy of Alison Horne.

Nighttime view - photo courtesy of Alison Horne.

For more information on Wellingborough Workhouse click here; http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Wellingborough/