Building record 7945/1/1 - Irthlingborough Workhouse/Casual Wards

Irthlingborough Casual Wards were built in 1933. They provided temporary accommodation for vagrants and itinerant labourers. The architect was G.H. Lewin. They showed a significant change from previous forms of accommodation since they were not located alongside an institution (former workhouse) and housed vagrants in dormitories instead of cell blocks. Irthlingborough comprised a huge ward block containing eight 20-bed dormitories. Male and female vagrants shared the same receiving rooms and were provided with large day-rooms for socialising. This layout reflects a considerable departure from previous Poor Law attitudes to vagrants. The buildings were built of red brick with slate or steel roofs. The complex comprised three main blocks (administrative block, men's day room block and men's ward block) connected by an axial corridor, and a detached workshop. It was located on the bypass east of Irthingborough. During the Second World War the site was used as an emergency hospital for London Blitz victims, a store for the American Red Cross and a Girls' Remand Home. Following the war it was used as a hostel for immigrant mine workers, and then by the YMCA before becoming the British Steel Corporation Records Centre in 1972. The buildings were demolished shortly after 1998.

{1} Standing building. According to Tonks E. (1990) this was originally a County Council workhouse, then a remand home and subsequently a hostel for the Polish and Italian workers, engaged by the local steel industry. Most recently the building was used as a records centre by British Steel. Reportedly it was constructed in the early 1930's? Three colour photographs taken of the work house in Irthlingborough.

{5} Former set of casual wards. 1933. By GH Lewin, County Surveyor for Northamptonshire County Council Public Assistance Committee. Red brick with blue brick plinth and steps and artificial stone dressings. Slate roof with blue ridge tiles. Central ridge stack on front block. Venacular dormitory block further to the rear, all linked by an axial corridor. Two storeys. Fifteen window range in all at first floor of various size windows under brick cambered lintels, a few with key blocks. Large facing projecting gable to either end and smaller one to the centre. Similar windows to ground floor and door to centre right. Projecting single storey wing to the left. To rear the single storey day room with a row of casements, and further to rear the higher dormitory block designed with full length out-shuts to front and rear and a clerestory above lit along the whole length by long casements. Detatched single storey workshop range in sinilar style, now in use as garage. INTERIOR. The original layout is legible. Room divisions and doors generally survive but few of the fittings. Front administration block had waiting room, accommodation for women tramps on two floors, duty room, and rooms for live-in staff, etc. Day room is behind. The ward block has eight twenty-bed dormitories.
This set of casual wards is probably unique as a little altered survival of a detatched casual ward erected (following the abolition of the poor law in 1929) as a response to the depression and the resultant rise in labourers searching for work as well as for vagrants and tramps.

{7, 8, 9} Irthlingborough Casual Wards were built in 1933. They provided temporary accommodation for vagrants and itinerant labourers. The architect was G.H. Lewin. They showed a significant change from previous forms of accommodation since they were not located alongside an institution (former workhouse) and housed vagrants in dormitories instead of cell blocks. Irthlingborough comprised a huge ward block containing eight 20-bed dormitories. Male and female vagrants shared the same receiving rooms and were provided with large day-rooms for socialising. This layout reflects a considerable departure from previous Poor Law attitudes to vagrants. The buildings were built of red brick with slate or steel roofs. The complex comprised three main blocks (administrative block, men's day room block and men's ward block) connected by an axial corridor, and a detached workshop. It was located on the bypass east of Irthingborough. During the Second World War the site was used as an emergency hospital for London Blitz victims, a store for the American Red Cross and a Girls' Remand Home. Following the war it was used as a hostel for immigrant mine workers, and then by the YMCA before becoming the British Steel Corporation Records Centre in 1972. The buildings were demolished shortly after 1998. [1-3]

<1> CADMAN G.E., 1998, SMR Report Form, (unchecked) (SMR Report Form). SNN49786.

<2> CADMAN G.E., 1998, Photographs, (unchecked) (Photographs). SNN51634.

<3> Tonks E., 1990, The Ironstone Quarries of The Midlands (History, Operation and Railways): The Wellingborough Area, (unchecked) (Book). SNN45742.

<4> Woodfield P., 2002, The Casual Wards, Irthlingborough: An Architectural-Historical Assessment, (unchecked) (Report). SNN102330.

<5> 2001, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: Update Notification, (checked) (Catalogue). SNN101266.

<6> British Steel Corporation, East Midlands Regional Records Centre Irthlingborough, (unchecked) (Leaflet). SNN103303.

<7> Morrison K., 1999, The Workhouse: A Study Of Poor-Law Buildings In England, p. 188 (Book). SNN100282.

<8> Higginbotham P., 2021, The Workhouse: The Story of an Institution… (Website). SNN112832.

<9> ORAL REPORT, Uncatalogued Archive File - Workhouses 101748 (Oral Report). SNN53287.

<10> Historic England, Undated, The Casual Wards, Irthlingborough photographic survey (Archive). SNN114195.

<11> Historic England, Undated, British Steel plc East Midlands Regional Records Centre (formerly Irthlingborough Casual Wards), Irthlingborough, BF101748 (Archive). SNN114196.

Record last edited

Oct 10 2022 3:58PM