Monument record 7198/243 - Union Workhouse (St. Mary's Hospital)

Kettering Union Workhouse was built in 1837 to designs by George Gilbert Scott. The building originally had a cruciform plan, though little of this now remains. It was faced with stone. An infirmary was added between 1894 and 1897, a chronic block in 1903 and a sanatorium had been added by 1924. Nurses' homes were built on three occations in about 1903, 1929 and 1937.The remaining buildings are now part of St Mary's Hospital. The original workhouse entrance block is Grade II listed.

{1} Workhouse, London Road. Union Workhouse is capable of accomodating 250 inmates - the Union embraces an area of 77 square miles and includes 25 parishes or townships. Poor Law Institution, London Road built in 1837 at a cost of £6,000 by the architect GG Scott - new infirmary and laundry was erected in 1894, tramp wards on the cellular system were built in 1900, the infirmary was extended by the erection of chronic wards and a phthisis sanatorium and additional land purchased in 1903. The house is now available for 282 inmates. A new board room and offices and masters house were erected in 1909-10 and a new day room for men was erected and an improved drainage laid down. Heating apparatus and laundery machinery were installed in 1923. The workhouse moved into local authority hands in 1929 and was renamed St Mary's. The vast majority of the structure is still in use today, although part of the central wing and the sanitorium have been demolished. The frontage is of stone (and is a listed building) whilst the remainder of the original building and the later additions are of red brick. Film 12, photo 13-17.

<1> Ballinger J., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Industrial Period, (checked) (Digital archive). SNN4.

<2> Higginbotham P., 2002, The Workhouse: Banbury & Northamptonshire Extract, (unchecked) (Extract). SNN102266.

<3> Richardson H. (Editor), 1998, English Hospitals 1660-1948: A Survey of Their Architecture and Design, (unchecked) (Book). SNN62723.

<4> Morrison K., 1999, The Workhouse: A Study Of Poor-Law Buildings In England, p. 62, 72, 176, 208 (Book). SNN100282.

<5> Historic England, St Mary's Hospital, formerly Kettering Union Workhouse, Kettering, BF100456 (Archive). SNN114921.

Record last edited

Mar 28 2023 10:02AM