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Slate plaque № 42398

Colchester, Essex, England, United Kingdom

Behind this plaque stood Colchester's main workhouse built in 1836–37. It housed the town's destitute poor, numbering around 150, most of whom were elderly and gave overnight shelter to the wandering homeless. The complex of buildings, included work rooms, eating and sleeping accommodation, a laundr

y and a hospital, covered a 3.6 hectare site. From 1929 the Poor Law was replaced by a Public Assistance Board and in 1938 the complex became St. Mary's hospital, run after 1948 by the National Health

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