A parliamentary report of 1777 recorded parish workhouses in operation at Alconbury and Weston (for up to 20 inmates), Brampton (25), Connington (35), Ellington (12), Huntingdon—All Saints (20), Huntingdon—St Benedict (14), Ramsey (80), and Saltree [Sawtry] St Andrews & All Saints (30).
Huntingdon Poor Law Union was formed on 19th January 1836. Its operation was overseen by an elected Board of Guardians, 35 in number, representing its 33 constituent parishes as listed below (figures in brackets indicate numbers of Guardians if more than one):
County of Huntingdon: Huntingdon All Saints - Huntingdon - St Bendict, Huntingdon - St John, Huntingdon - St Mary, Abbots Ripton with Wennington, Alconbury, Alconbury Weston, Barham, Brampton, Buckworth, Conington, Coppingford, Easton, Ellington, Godmanchester (2), Great Raveley, Great Stukeley, Hartford, Humerton, King's Ripton, Leighton Bromswold, Little Raveley, Little Stukeley, Ramsey (2), Sawtry All Saints, Sawtry St Andrew, Sawtry St Judith, Spaldwick, Steeple Gedding, Upton, Upwood, Wolley, Wood Walton.
The population falling within the union at the 1831 census had been 16,859 with parishes ranging in size from Little Raveley (population 54) to Huntingdon itself (combined population of four parishes of 3,267). The average annual poor-rate expenditure for the period 1833-35 had been £11,782 or 14s.0d per head of the population.
The new Huntingdon Board of Guardians had their first meeting on 25th January, 1836, at the George Inn in Huntingdon. The following month they resolved to replace the existing parish workhouses within the Union a central workhouse for 200 inmates. The new building was designed by Sampson Kempthorne and was based on his 200-pauper model plan. It was built at a site at Walnut Common in Huntingdon. The building contractors were Messrs Edward and William Harratt. The building work was completed at the end of May 1837 and the first inmates were received that autumn.
Huntingdon workhouse site, 1925
The main part of the workhouse were based on a cruciform plan with a two-storey front block, with a central link block behind leading to a main accommodation block behind. Running to the rear from the centre was a dining hall above which was erected an infirmary in 1842. Later additions included a large three-storey children's block at the eastern front of the site in 1855, an aged men's block (later a female infirmary block) at the north of the site in 1868, and a laundry at the north-east of the site in around 1900.
The original system drains of installed at the workhouse seems to have been a cause of problems and they were replaced in 1875. If the following description of the old drains is anything to go by, it must have been a very unhealthy (and smelly!) place up until then.
The workhouse later became Walnut Tree House, and then Petersfield Hospital. The buildings have now been demolished and housing stands on the site.
Huntingdon former workhouse site from the west, 2001.
© Peter Higginbotham.
This page () is copyright Peter G Higginbotham. Last updated 13-Oct-2006
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