Oakham and Rutland Local News

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Thursday, April 13, 2023

Oakham School Ashwell Road Old Work House Oakham Rutland

Oakham School Ashwell Road Old Work House Oakham Rutland


The Old Workhouse on Ashwell Road Oakham Rutland is a Grade II listed building that was built in 1836-7. It was originally used as a workhouse for the poor and destitute, but it has since been converted into a number of different uses, including a school, a hospital, and a nursing home.

The workhouse was built at a time when the Poor Law system was in its infancy. The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 had created a new system of workhouses, which were intended to provide a deterrent to poverty and to encourage people to work. The workhouses were designed to be austere and uncomfortable, in order to discourage people from using them unless they absolutely had to.

The Oakham workhouse was built to accommodate 167 inmates. It consisted of a main building, which housed the administrative offices and the dining hall, and a number of smaller buildings, which housed the wards. The wards were divided into male and female wards, and there were also separate wards for children, the elderly, and the sick.

The workhouse was in use for over 100 years. It closed in 1936, and it was subsequently used for a variety of different purposes. In the 1940s, it was used as a hospital for evacuees during the Second World War. In the 1950s, it was converted into a nursing home.

In the 1970s, the workhouse was acquired by Oakham School. The school converted the building into a number of different facilities, including a library, a music room, and a science laboratory. The school also used the building to house its sixth form.

The Old Workhouse on Ashwell Road Oakham Rutland is a significant building in the history of the town. It is a reminder of a time when the Poor Law system was in its infancy, and it is also a reminder of the challenges that people faced in the past. The building is now in good condition, and it is being used to provide a variety of educational and social services.

Here are some additional facts about the Old Workhouse:

The architect of the workhouse was William J Donthorn.

The workhouse was built at a cost of £3,730.

The workhouse was in use for over 100 years.

The workhouse was closed in 1936.

The workhouse has been used for a variety of different purposes since it closed, including a hospital, a nursing home, and a school.

The Old Workhouse on Ashwell Road Oakham Rutland is a Grade II listed building.