Workhouse Walks

Discover five of Norfolk's former workhouses with these brand new circular walks.

Workhouses provided care for people who were poor and needed help.  They were set up by the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act.  Every town and village in the country was supposed to send their poor to a workhouse.

There were 22 workhouses in Norfolk.  Each workhouse served a group of 40 to 50 parishes known as a Union.

Life in the workhouse was supposed to be tough.  Workhouse food was boring, families were split up and adults had to work to help pay for their keep.  It was hoped that people would only come in to the workhouse if they were desperate.

The Workhouse Walks were created as part of the Voices from the Workhouse project at Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Workhouse circular walk maps

• Aylsham workhouse walk (2 miles) (PDF) [1MB]
• Great Yarmouth workhouse walk (3.9 miles) (PDF) [1MB]
• Gressenhall workhouse walk (4.5 miles) (PDF) [1MB]
• King's Lynn workhouse walk (2 miles) (PDF) [1MB]
• Pulham Market workhouse walk (5.5 miles) (PDF) [1MB]