"Vagrants Casual Ward" at St Luke's Hospital, Guildford, Surrey

This purpose-built vagrants ward was added to the Guildford Union Workhouse (St Luke's) in 1905. The ward was divided in to units. Each of which had a sleeping cell and working cell. There was a wooden door between the two parts of the unit. An iron grill in the door was opened from the outside. Then a load of stone to be crushed was dumped inside the working cell. The grill was closed and inmates were made to crush the stone into small pieces. These then had to be pushed back through the grill into collection containers outside.

Location

Surrey Guildford

Period

Edwardian (1902 - 1913)

Tags

hospital health social welfare Edwardian (1902 - 1913)