The Workhouse and Infirmary
BEST FOR
Ages 0-16
ENTRY
from £7.50
SETTING
Outdoors
WHERE
Southwell
What it’s like
A rare, atmospheric Georgian workhouse and Victorian infirmary near Southwell, kids' trails and costumed characters bring the history alive, with free parking a short walk away.
Built in 1824 as a last resort for the poor, this rural workhouse is one of the best preserved and most complete in England, it housed around 160 inmates in a strictly segregated world of old and infirm, able-bodied men and women, and children. The Infirmary, added in 1871, cared for those too ill for the workhouse itself, and interactive media, personal objects and residents' own stories bring the history to life for older children especially. There's a lift in the Infirmary but the upper floors of the Workhouse are stairs-only, with some narrow corridors, so buggies and wheelchairs won't get everywhere.
Families get children's trails (like the Cheer Up Chuckaboo Trail hunting for Victorian slang), seasonal activities, dress-up and a Summer of Play with a Victorian twist, think Tin Can Alley and giant board games. Costumed characters appear for Tales from The Workhouse, and there's even playful children's yoga on Wednesdays in August. School groups can do self-led educational visits themed around 1840s life.
The café is in the Infirmary, with indoor and outdoor seating (including a dog-friendly area outside) serving hot and cold drinks, pasties, croque monsieurs, bakes and ice cream, but no food or drink is allowed inside the historic buildings themselves, so save the picnic for the picnic area. There's a second-hand bookshop with a children's corner too. Free parking is 200 metres from the property, with accessible/Blue Badge spaces in the main car park and two mobility scooters available to borrow. Under 5s go free, and it's free entry for National Trust members.
What’s on here
Facilities
Plan your visit
How much does The Workhouse and Infirmary cost?
Entry starts from £7.50. The full price list, taken from the venue's own published prices, is on this page.
Is there parking?
Yes, free parking on site, plus Blue Badge bays.
Can we eat there?
Yes, there's a café, and there's a picnic area if you'd rather bring your own.
How accessible is it?
The venue lists wheelchair access.
Can the dog come?
Yes, it's listed as dog friendly. Worth checking any on-lead rules before you set off.
Do they do birthday parties?
Yes, the venue offers birthday parties and group bookings. Details and booking on their site.
What ages is it best for?
The venue pitches it at ages 0-16.
Is it indoors?
No, this one's an outdoor day, so pick your weather.
How do we find it?
13 miles from Nottingham on A612 and 8 miles from Newark via A617 and A612. Free parking, sat nav: look for 'Upton Road, NG25 0QB' as some services may not send you to the front entrance; what3words ///holly.disposing.acclaim. On foot via Robin Hood Way. By train: Newark Castle 7 miles, Newark North Gate 7½ miles, Nottingham 13 miles. By bus: regular services from Newark, Nottingham and Mansfield bus stations; NCT Lilac 26 route connects Nottingham to Southwell. Cycling via the National Byway (Heritage Cycle Route).
Also on site
Infirmary Café
indoorsCafé offering hot and cold drinks, pasties, croque monsieurs, bakes and sweet treats, with indoor, outdoor and dog-friendly seating.
Second-hand bookshop
Second-hand bookshop with fiction, hobbies, classics and a children's corner.
Areas to explore
Kitchen Garden
outdoorsVarious vegetable plots, orchards and rich pasture that once supplied food for Workhouse inmates, now nurtured by volunteers for purchasable produce.
The Infirmary
indoorsVictorian infirmary which supported ill Workhouse inmates, eventually adapted its role and response to care until decommission in the 1980s.
The Workhouse
indoorsWorkhouse built in 1824, a last-resort refuge for the poor and destitute, now one of the best-preserved examples in the country.
Featured in 1 Huddlepin list
See all Castles, Historic Houses & Heritage in Nottingham · Things to do in Nottingham
MORE LIKE THIS NEARBY
