Article 15

Sleaford Workhouse

From “Our River Slea” by Les Gostick, with kind permission of his family.

Across Eastgate opposite Cogglesford Mill is the site of the old workhouse. It was of the Tudor style and built of Ancaster stone at a cost of £4,000. It was intended for the use of 56 parishes in the Wapentakes of Aswardhurn, Flaxwell, Langoe, Loveden, Aveland and Boothby Graffoe. It was altered several times and in 1948 a great deal of money was spent on it, and the name was changed to “Slea View.

Some idea of the accommodation provided can be gained by some of the alterations which were made. Steam heating was provided for the modernised kitchen and laundry, coconut-matting was replaced by carpets, and Parker-Knowles chairs were provided to replace the Windsor type.

Apart from about 100 permanent residents, up to 200 tramps were taken in each month. On arrival towards the end of the day, the tramps were given a bath, handed in their clothing for stoving, and were issued with a shirt, towel and pillowcase. Women tramps were given a sheet, a nightdress, a towel and a bit of soap. They were also given one third of an ounce of tea, half an ounce of margarine and two slices of bread. They were given back their clothes the next morning, had a meal of cereal bread and jam or marmalade, and after doing some work at chopping sticks or breaking up stones, they were sent off with a sixpence to buy food.

The male residents who smoked were given one ounce of tobacco each week, non-smokers were given two ounces of sweets. Female residents were given a bag of sweets and pocket money. Everywhere was kept very clean, and the welfare of the residents was the first priority at Sleaford, the supervision was said to be of the highest order. Outings were arranged, for example, by boat to Haverholme Priory for the day at the invitation of the Countess of Winchelsea, and in later years, bus trips to Skegness. The children were sent neatly dressed to the Alvey School. It was a sad day for Sleaford when the beautiful buildings were demolished in 1972.