Over 600 of these Dickensian semi-prisons were built following the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act which aimed to make life much harder for the able-bodied poor. Three workhouses were built in 1066 ...

The Poor Law of 1834 provided two types of help: Indoor relief – the workhouse, which was greatly feared. Outdoor relief – food and money given to those at home, but which carried great social ...

Until 1834 the Poor Law worked on the assumption ... There was a stern approach to people who applied for help and workhouses became a major plank in dealing with the poor. They were places ...