The Thorne Workhouse

Thorne Workhouse, on Union Road near Doncaster, was built in 1838 to house around 200 people following the 1834 reorganisation of parish poor relief into Poor Law Unions. As well as wards and workshops, the building included an infirmary and a mortuary. The national workhouse system was abolished in 1930, when a final inspection recorded beds for 108 inmates. Part of the original building was later demolished, and the surviving section is currently occupied by the local Sea Cadets, who use the premises for youth activities rather than any residential or institutional purpose.