Building record 3884/14/2 - Isebrook Lodge, Wellingborough Workhouse

Built between 1885 and 1900. Possibly an administrative building for the hospital.

{1} The building known as Isebrook Lodge, at the entrance to the workhouse/hospital complex off Irthlingborough Road, was built between 1885 and 1900. The building has most recently been used for the property developers on the site and prior to that was presumably used as offices for the property developers on the site and prior to that was presumably used as an administrative facility for the hospital. The frontage of the building is on the west side, along the access road to the hospital and not on the road frontage. The plan of the building is a rectangular structure with two projecting bays on the west frontage.
Inspection of the ground floor of the building indicated a straightforward administrative facility with several large rooms with high ceilings and a communal toilet facility. The moulded five panelled doors (in mock Geogian style) appear to be original to the building. The upper floor is reached by a staircase with a panelled and moulded newel post with newel cap and an open string wooden balustrade with turned balusters. Only one large room at first floor level was immediately accessible via this staircase; this was the room above the southern bay and was being used as an office. There is a large Venetian style window on the frontage.
The upper floor of the main block is currently used as a storage area with access through a small door in the main first floor room. There is an elaborately carved vaulted ceiling with moulded ribs with (red and green) painted detail indicating a mock medieval feel to the structure. Metal and wooden structural supports had been added to this ceiling at a later date. The area is poorly lit with only a small window at each end of the gable ends. It would appear likely that the floor in this area has been inserted and that originally this area of the building was open from floor to ceiling as in a medieval hall. There is evidence of structural changes to the exterior brickwork (with changes to window opening etc) on the south and east faces of the building; indicating a substantial alteration to the building at some point. This area is likely to have been used as a board room for the workhouse. 'A large number of unions erected new baordrooms in the 1890's and early 1900's. It was not simply that old boardrooms had become too small; they were insufficiently grand.' The remaining administrative facilities in the building were presumably contained within the two projecting bays on the western frontage.

{2} Photographs

<1> Ballinger J., 2000, Isebrook Lodge, Wellingborough Workhouse, Irthlingborough Road, Wellingborough, (checked) (Note). SNN104056.

<2> Ballinger, J., 2000, Isebrook Lodge, Wellingborough Workhouse, Irthlingborough Road, Wellingborough, (unchecked) (Photographic prints (COL)). SNN104060.

<3> Morrison K., 1999, The Workhouse: A Study Of Poor-Law Buildings In England, p. 208 (Book). SNN100282.

<4> Historic England, Undated, Isebrook Hospital, formerly Wellingborough Union Workhouse, later Park Hospital, Wellingborough, BF100452 [Not accessed by NHER] (Archive). SNN112952.

Record last edited

Feb 6 2023 2:10PM