Monument record MLI86956 - Remains of former workhouse, Water Farm, Ruskington
Summary
Remains of former workhouse, Water Farm, Ruskington
Type and Period (2)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
PRN 63511
Structural remains of the former workhouse were recorded on this site during trial trenching. These consisted of machine brick walls, limestone wall foundations, and also a floor surface made up of rubbly stone, the floor had been overlain with concrete at a later date. Enough remains of the workhouse were recorded to suggest a layout, and indeed the layout suggests that this was not a purpose built building. Boundaries were also recorded, possibly to separate the workhouse from other buildings on the farm. {1}{2}
The workhouse was described c. 1875 as having been "a building of no recent architecture, constituted of native stone, timbered with wood in the rough, and covered over with reed thatch, large open chimneys, doors and windows… miserable, gloomy cells, with not one ray of comfort belonging to it." It functioned as an asylum for the aged poor and the destitute, and was run by men paid by the Overseers of the poor. These men who 'farmed' the workhouse did so for their own profit rather than for the benefit of the inmates. This system came to an end with the new Poor Law Act in 1835. The building was sold and the proceeds invested in the construction of a new school. {3}
Sources/Archives (3)
- <1> SLI9711 Report: Archaeological Project Services. 2004. Archaeological evaluation on land at Water Farm, Ruskington. RWF04.
- <2> SLI9712 Archive: Archaeological Project Services. 2004. Archaeological evaluation on land at Water Farm, Ruskington. LCNCC: 2004.190.
- <3> SLI11065 Article in Serial: Ambler, R.W.. 1970. Linclonshire History and Archaeology. Vol. 5, p 79.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred TF 0815 5097 (27m by 48m) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | RUSKINGTON, NORTH KESTEVEN, LINCOLNSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (1)
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External Links (0)
Record last edited
Mar 21 2021 8:35PM
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