Additional Buildings. Manchester Workhouse

From an inspection of the plans and elevations (from a design by Mr Tattersall), and facts communicated by Mr. Robinson, governor of the workhouse, we are enabled to give the following particulars as to the new buildings —They to abut upon the men's wards at the east end of the present building, and will extend towards York Street, Cheetham, leaving width for a street between the erections and the chapel, called St Matthews Chapel, in the grounds of the workhouse, not the chapel in the burial ground. A gateway will be left on the ground floor of the new building, for communication between different parts of the establishment. The dimensions of the new erection are to be 90 feet by 45 feet, outside measure; they will comprise three storeys or floors, besides the basement storey; and the whole building, from cellar to roof is divided by a wall, into two squares. The ground floor will comprise a long open day-rom for boys, 41 feet by 35 feet; a female sick-ward, with day and nurses’ rooms, bath, kitchen, and other conveniences. In the first, or one-pair floor, the boys’ dormitory extends over their day room and the gateway, and is 46 feet by 42 feet. In this floor there are also two large wards for females, with nurses’ room and conveniences. In the two-storey floor, or upper storey over the boys’ dormitory is a dormitory of the same size for men, from which there will be direct communication with the men’s dormitory in the present building. The other part of this floor contains female sick ward, with nurses’ room, etc; and a fever ward, which is quite distinct, having no communication with any other room on the same floor and to which access is had by a separate staircase from the ground floor.  Over the building is to be placed a large cistern, capable of holding 3,600 imperial gallons of water, for supplying the different wards, closets, etc. On account of the incline of the ground, the cellaring consists of one place, 46 feet by 26 feet only, which is to be used for storing potatoes, and for peeling them for use. There are two separate yards in front of the new building – one for sick females, which is about 89 feet by 41 feet; and the other for boys is of the dimensions of 72 feet by 35 feet. At the bottom of the boys’ yard is to be erected a one-storey covered building for a washing room. It is to be fitted up with washing apparatus on an improved plan; having twenty separate stone bowls fixed to the walls, with separate taps a a plug in the bottom of the bowl to let off the water by a pipe into the sough below. Separate towels are to be provided on rollers, and every care is to be taken by these and other means to prevent the danger of communicating infectious diseases of the skin, ophthalmia (which is very prevalent occasionally in such establishments, and is supposed to be communicated by the washing apparatus), and other disorders. The extremity of the building will come to within about fifteen or sixteen yards of the intended Junction Railway, connecting the Manchester and Leeds line with those to Liverpool and Bolton. [Manchester Guardian 25 September 1839. Page 2]

Reference : Manchester Guardian 25 September 1839. Page 2