Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Strood /North Aylesford Union Workhouse, Gun Lane, Started as the North Aylesford Union workhouse,built in 1837 at the north side of Gun Lane in Strood. Becoming Strood Union Workhouse by 1896 after extensive building works.

Monument Types

• (Former Type) WORKHOUSE (Post Medieval to Modern - 1835 AD to 1950 AD)

Full description

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Strood /North Aylesford Union Workhouse, Gun Lane, Started as the North Aylesford Union workhouse,built in 1837 at the north side of Gun Lane in Strood. Becoming Strood Union Workhouse by 1896 after extensive building works on the site.
Females were housed at the west of the site and men at the east. The front block on Gun Lane had a central entrance archway with the Master's quarters at the right, with the boys' accommodation beyond, and male probationary ward at the far end. Left of the entrance were the porter's lodge, clerk's room and board room, with the girl's accommodation and female probationary ward beyond. At the rear, a T-shaped block contained the wash-house, laundry and kitchen in its central stem, with men and women housed in the three-storey ranges leading off to each side. The area between the entrance block and the T-block was divided by a further laundry block on the women's side, and by workshops on the men's side. Separate ward blocks stood to each side of the main workhouse.
By 1887, the workhouse could accommodate 521 inmates. An infirmary was erected at the east of the site in 1869.
In around 1893, a large new block was erected at the centre of the workhouse replacing the old dining-hall and kitchens and presumably incorporating similar facilities. An additional accommodation was also added in a block erected at the centre rear of the workhouse — in the 1950s, this was still in use as a local authority clinic.

Peter Higginbotham, 2018, http://www.workhouses.org.uk (Website). SKE51754.

Kent Workhouses
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© 2017 Kent Workhouses, 2018, Kent Workhouses & Poorhouses (Website). SKE51755.

Sources and further reading