Description:Union workhouses were built in an effort to combat poverty and encourage those who were seen as lazy to work their way out of poverty. They were designed to be as uncomfortable as possible. Men, women and children were separated, made to work hard and eat very basic and non-nutritious food such as gruel (watery porridge). Of course, the majority of those who ended up in the workhouse were those unable to take care of themselves, such as the very young, the elderly and the infirm.
The Newcastle Union Workhouse was built in 1840 on Keele Road, replacing a series of smaller houses from around 1731 that could contain about 40 people in all. The new, bigger workhouse contained 300 beds. Workhouses were abolished in 1930 and the Newcastle-under-Lyme workhouse was demolished in 1938.