Morpeth
Morpeth Union Workhouse
Last Updated:
13 Oct 2024
Morpeth
This is a
Workhouse
55.170005, -1.692910
Founded in
Current status is
Demolished
Designer (if known):
Replaced by telephone exchange
This mid 20th century office block on Morpeth's Newgate Street is the site of the region's old Union Workhouse.
It was a huge, domineering building composed of stone opened in the second half of the 18th century. Before this, Bedlington's Old Hall was also repurposed as a workhouse. The first reference to this one I can find is in 1764, when the role of "Master of the Workhouse" was advertised in the local papers. By 1777, there was 77 "inmates" here.
Workhouses were grim, grisly places embedded in the philosophy of reforming the morales and ethics of the poor. They provided housing, but in return provided their labour. Often, folk were declined any provision of support if they refused to work.
Morpeth's Poor Law Union was formed in 1834. They were local boards which managed and administered the workhouses and other provisions under the Poor Law. Workhouses were centralised and grew larger, and Morpeth's, from thereon, served a huge area from Newbiggin and Woodhorn to the Cramlington area. Bedlington remained in use until at least the 1830s.
Given what we now know of workhouses, it's quite shocking who were forced to live here. A 100 year old named Ralph Wilson died here in 1786 (!). There were on average 14 children living here in 1908 with 3 foster mothers and 106 people altogether. The labour was "justified" by the expenditures needing to run this place, but they did earn a profit of between £110-£118 per month by this time. It was lining someone's pockets...
The site remained as council offices during WWII, and the buildings were demolished in 1951 and replaced with a telephone exchange.
Listing Description (if available)
The 1850s town plan gives an incredible insight to this place. A "vagrants ward" was essentially a Victorian homeless shelter, providing temporary accommodation for those "passing through". It won't have been comfortable though - probably just a room with bunks to protect folk from the weather and cold nights. There was also a dead house, which was a holding bay for dead bodies like a mortuary, perhaps for inquest or onwards burial, and a stone yard for the male inmates to crack open stones to sell for profit.
The back of the workhouse featured a garden, which can't be said for the site in the 1890s. It was expanded to the point a further building was added to the back, presumably more accommodation, ridding of the green space leading down to the banks of the river. This building can be seen on the pic below.
The 1922 map provides a broader view of the whole area. The Union Workhouse is still labelled albeit on its last legs for this purpose. It was turned into offices soon after. What's remarkable is the easily identifiable burgage plots lining Newgate Street, Oldgate Street and Bridge Street.
The site of the Workhouse from the front elevation, which is now the old telephone exchange building.
Undated photograph of the workhouse front opposite the Black & Grey, undated.
The Bakehouse Steps at Morpeth with the workhouse in the background. Original source unknown