Become a member
Join today and help protect nature, beauty and history – for everyone, for ever. Enjoy access to more than 500 places with National Trust membership.
The Workhouse and Infirmary
Atmospheric Georgian Workhouse and Victorian Infirmary
Upton Road, Southwell, Nottinghamshire, NG25 0PT
Opening times for 31 August 2024
Asset Opening time Workhouse 10:30 - 16:00 Café 10:30 - 15:00 Firbeck Infirmary 10:30 - 16:00 Last entry to the site is 15.00. May close early due to low light levels or high winds/extreme weather.
MTWTFSS293031123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930311OpenPartially openClosedWhole property
Ticket type Gift aid Standard Adult £16.50 £15.00 Child £8.30 £7.50 Family £41.30 £37.50 1 adult, up to 3 children £24.80 £22.50 Group Adult £14.25 Group Child £7.13 Become a member and discover more than 500 places
Bookshop
Second-hand bookshop.
Dogs allowed
Dogs are allowed in the car park and front field but are not permitted in the house or garden. Assistance dogs only in the house and garden.
Café
Café located in Firbeck Infirmary. Indoor and outdoor seating available. The café is open for hot and cold drinks, soup, pasties, snacks, cakes and ice cream. Other than in the cafe, food and drink is not permitted inside the buildings.
Family friendly
Car park
Free parking, 200 yards from Workhouse in visitor car park
Guided tour
Guided tour available on a first-come first-served basis at 11am each day of opening. Guided tour not guaranteed.
Coffee shop
Picnic area
Cycle parking
Toilet
Toilets are available at visitor reception and in Firbeck Infirmary. There are not toilets available in The Workhouse main building.
Blue Badge parking. Accessible toilets. Ramped entrances. Upper floors are stairs only. Partly accessible outdoors route.
Accessible route and/or map
Level access/terrain
Accessible toilet
Lift
There is a lift in the Firbeck Infirmary but not in The Workhouse
Braille (guide or menu)
Narrow corridors
There are a few areas with narrow access in the workhouse main building.
Designated parking
Photograph album
Drop-off point
Ramped access/slopes
Induction loop
Seating available
Large print (guide or menu)
Virtual tour
Level access to food outlet
Wheelchairs available
By road
13 miles from Nottingham on A612 and 8 miles from Newark via A617 and A612.
Parking: Free
Sat Nav: Please note, some services such as Google Maps will not send you to our front entrance. To help, please look for The Workhouse on 'Upton Road, NG25 0QB'.
On foot
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
Planning your visit
Article
Bringing your dog to The Workhouse and Infirmary
The Workhouse and Infirmary is a one pawprint rated place. Discover all you need to know about visiting The Workhouse and Infirmary with your dog.
Article
Educational visits to the Workhouse and Infirmary
Bring your education or school group to the Workhouse and Infirmary in Nottinghamshire. Step back in time to the 1840s and find out what life was like inside this gruelling institution. All visits are self led, giving you the opportunity to design your day around your group's learning needs.
PDF
Highlights
The Workhouse
Workhouse built in 1824, a last-resort refuge for the poor and destitute, now one of the best-preserved examples in the country.
Firbeck Infirmary
Infirmary which supported ill Workhouse inmates, eventually adapting its role and response to care until decommission in the 1980s.
Kitchen Garden
Various vegetable plots, orchards and rich pasture that once supplied food for Workhouse inmates, now nurtured by volunteers for purchasable produce.
Firbeck Café
Comfortable and reflective café offering hot and cold drinks, soups, sandwiches, snacks and cakes with seating indoors and outdoors.
Spotlight events
Summer of Play
Explore the different play opportunities across our outdoor spaces. There will be traditional and more modern games to enjoy. Have a go at a quoits challenge, enjoy a game of badminton or test your nerve with our stacking tower game and many more...family fun for all. Summer of Play is sponsored by Starling Bank and supported by Sport England.
Things to see and do
Article
Things to see and do at The Workhouse and Infirmary
Find out more about visiting The Workhouse and Infirmary, where guided tours, exhibitions and activities help bring to life the stories of the people who had to work to receive food, shelter and medical care here.
Article
The kitchen garden at The Workhouse
From plot to pauper plate, explore the recreated Victorian vegetable garden and admire the range of heritage varieties grown.
Article
Family-friendly things to do at The Workhouse and Infirmary
Entertain the whole family at The Workhouse and Infirmary this spring. Discover unique stories in the atmospheric buildings and 'Workhouse: Live' on selected dates, go on an adventure in the grounds and stop for a bite to eat in Firbeck Cafe. You'll also find plenty of hands-on activities for everyone to discover, from active trails to digital devices.
Eating
Eating at The Workhouse
Located on the ground floor of Firbeck Infirmary, the café serves a range of hot and cold drinks, seasonal meals and sweet treats. Whether you’re popping by for a takeaway coffee, staying for lunch or collecting supplies for a picnic, you’ll find something that hits the spot.
Upcoming events
Event
Summer of Play
Are you ready for some summer fun? Come and discover a range of ways to play as part of your visit...
Event
Written on the Workhouse Walls
Watch out for thieves or hit the road quick? Become a secret sign sleuth with Written on the Workhouse Walls, a fun family trail to celebrate the bicentenary of the Workhouse.
Event
Written on the Workhouse Walls
Watch out for thieves or hit the road quick? Become a secret sign sleuth with Written on the Workhouse Walls, a fun family trail to celebrate the bicentenary of the Workhouse.
Event
Becher Walk
Step back in time and join Reverend John T. Becher, founder of The Workhouse, on a tour of Southwell.
Event
Heritage Open Weekend
Come along to visit the Workhouse and Infirmary with free entry as part of the Heritage Open Days Festival.
Event
Workhouse Walkers
Come and enjoy a social walk around Southwell and discover more of the local area surrounding The Workhouse.
Event
A Victorian Gentlemen's Guide To Self Defense
Come and discover the art of self defense Victorian style. An experience where elegance meets empowerment.
Event
Workhouse Walkers
Come and enjoy a social walk around Southwell and discover more of the local area surrounding The Workhouse.
About The Workhouse and Infirmary
Built in 1824 as a last resort for many people, this rural workhouse is one of the best preserved and most complete in England. It was designed to house around 160 inmates, who lived and worked in a strictly segregated environment with virtually no contact between the old and infirm, able-bodied men and women, and children.
As the site developed, Firbeck Infirmary was built in 1871 to care for those deemed too ill to be housed in the workhouse. Here you can glimpse the beginnings of an emerging healthcare system, as social care evolved.
Interactive media, personal objects and the stories of those who lived and worked here help to bring the history to life.
'An empty workhouse is a successful one' - Rev. J T Becher (founder of Southwell Workhouse)
History
Discover tales of inmates and patients at The Workhouse and Infirmary with Findmypast
In collaboration with family history website Findmypast, we've been exploring the 1921 Census of England and Wales. It's helped us get closer to the lives of people at The Workhouse and Infirmary, where we've revealed dozens more stories of inmates and patients from the last decade of The Workhouse era. Discover more about these stories at The Workhouse and Infirmary, as well as research from nine other places in our care. By clicking this link, you’ll access a third-party website. Please see their privacy policy for how they handle your personal data.
Article
A history of workhouses and the Firbeck Infirmary
Learn about the concept and the history of The Workhouse and Firbeck Infirmary and the role that they played.
Art and collections
Article
Collections at The Workhouse and Firbeck Infirmary
Take a sneak peek into the treasure trove that is the collection of The Workhouse and Infirmary and learn what these objects tell us about the history of this special place.
Our work
Article
Our work at The Workhouse and Firbeck Infirmary
Discover how we care for The Workhouse, Southwell and the items in its collection, including original Victorian wallpaper from the Firbeck Infirmary.
Project
Project
Re-imagining The Workhouse
Learn how a project to restore Firbeck Infirmary unfolded, the stories being told and how it’s helping to shape conversation about care, 150 years after it first opened.
Support us
Volunteer with us
Search for live volunteering opportunities, or register your interest with The Workhouse.