Aylsham Union Workhouse was built in 1849 to designs by the distinguished architect William J. Donthorn, a founding member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). Chosen through a national architectural competition, the building cost around £12,000 (equivalent to about £1.4 million today) and served 46 surrounding parishes. Although designed to accommodate more than 600 inmates, it rarely housed more than 150.

The workhouse was intended as a last resort for those unable to support themselves. On arrival, inmates surrendered their possessions, were issued with uniforms, medically examined and separated into different classes. Men, women, children and the elderly lived apart, with families only meeting occasionally, usually during chapel services. Although conditions were strict, the workhouse was not a prison and inmates were free to leave.

Able-bodied residents were expected to work. One of the best-known tasks was oakum picking, unravelling old tarred rope for use in shipbuilding, which earned workhouses the nickname "the Spike." Women often worked in the laundry or cared for children, while many young people later secured apprenticeships with local trades. Some families also used the workhouse as a stepping stone to a new life through assisted emigration to Australia.

The workhouse also provided temporary shelter for travelling labourers, known as casual paupers or tramps. In exchange for food and a bed they carried out manual work before continuing to the next workhouse on their route.

During the 1930s the workhouse came under Norfolk County Council and, following the creation of the National Health Service in 1948, became part of St Michael's Hospital. The Aylsham and District War Memorial Cottage Hospital, opened on the site in 1956, developed a national reputation for rheumatology and pioneering joint replacement surgery before the hospital eventually closed.

The Paupers' Graveyard

Many elderly and sick inmates died in the workhouse, creating the need for a dedicated burial ground. After years of disagreement over burials for those from outside Aylsham parish, a consecrated cemetery was established within the workhouse grounds in 1857.

Between 1857 and 1903, 548 burials were recorded, from infants to people in their nineties. Today, the former paupers' graveyard has been transformed into a peaceful place of reflection, with seating and interpretation panels preserving the memory of those who lived - and died - at the Aylsham Union Workhouse.