Kingsway House

Kingsway House is a former workhouse dating from the early to mid-19th century. It is a cross-in-square plan building, largely retaining its original form. The main block faces west and stands three storeys high, with a three-storey cruciform arrangement of wings extending behind and linked by single-storey buildings. Constructed of red brick with slate roofs, the main block features a brick eaves cornice and three rows of sash windows with glazing bars, each with a brick flat arch. First and second-floor cill bands are present. The main entrance door has been moved from the original central position to the left-hand side. The intersection of the wings is octagonal. The building is set back from the road, standing on a terrace supported by a brick retaining wall that varies in height from 4 to 7 feet and incorporates wall buttresses. Cast-iron railings are set into the wall in front of the main block. This exemplifies the cruciform workhouse design popularized by Sampson Kempthorne following the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, and was possibly influenced by George Gilbert Scott, Kempthorne’s partner.