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Vagrant Cells - Melton Mowbray


November 2015

A Union workhouse was built in 1836 at the east side of Thorpe Road in Melton Mowbray. It was designed by Charles Dyer and adopted an elongated H-plan layout, rather than one of radial layouts more popular at the time. A vagrants' block was located at the south of the workhouse. It contained work cells for stone-breaking at the southern side. The cell walls contained outlet grids (now bricked up) through which were placed the small pieces of broken stone.

The nearby vagrant cells were for vagrants, or tramps, passing through the town. At the time it was illegal to sleep on the streets so the vagrants either had to rent a room somewhere in the town or, if they had no money, sleep in the cells.

Melton Civic Society vice-president and local historian Jenny Allsop suggested one way to save the piece of history would be to move the vagrant cells brick by brick to another location. She said: "The vagrant cells are an important part of the town's heritage. It's not a very nice part of our history but a part we can't ignore... It wouldn't look good if they destroy something which could be so easily rescued. It's only a small building and I'm sure it could be removed by experts. Perhaps it could be moved to somewhere in Melton and used for educational purposes."

Civic society secretary Dinah Rudman added: "The cells are exactly as they were when the last vagrant walked out of the door. They're very interesting and we feel they're a very important part of Melton's history."

As reported in the Melton Times in 2001 Government officials rejected pleas to have both buildings listed. Officials said the buildings didn't meet standards set out by English Heritage guidelines. The Melton Times asked the Leicestershire County and Rutland Primary Care Trust what its plans were for the two buildings.

A spokesman replied: "As part of the community services strategy we will be developing a plan for the Melton Mowbray Hospital site over coming months. No decisions have been made yet."

The vagrant cells are set to feature in a forthcoming programme on BBC4's Edwardians season.

Copyright © 2015 Stray Off The Path
  • Home
  • Asylums & Hospitals
    • Barrow Gurney Hospital
    • Brecon and Radnor Asylum - Talgarth
    • Cane Hill Asylum
    • Frenchay Hospital
    • Frenchay Hospital Mortuary
    • High Royds Asylum
    • Severalls Mental Hospital
    • Standish Hospital
    • St Cadoc's Hospital
    • St Clements Psychiatric Hospital - East London
    • Vagrant Cells - Melton Mowbray
  • High Stuff
    • Aldgate Tower Crane - London
    • Bayscape Tower Crane - Cardiff
    • Canons Marsh Crane - Bristol
    • Froomsgate House - Bristol
    • Newport Transporter Bridge
    • No. 3 Gasometer - Bath
    • No. 7 Gas Holder - Battersea
    • Simplyhealth Offices Crane - Bristol
    • Tees Transporter Bridge
    • The Forth Bridge
    • Warrington Transporter Bridge
  • Industrial
    • A Bond Tobacco Warehouse
    • Battersea Power Station
    • Celuan Wool Mill - Talybont
    • Coryton Refinery Power Station
    • CWM Coke Works
    • Ford Grain Silo - Avonmouth
    • Gloster Aircraft Company - Bentham Works
    • Granary No. 5 - Avonmouth
    • Healings Mill - Tewkesbury
    • Intier Automotive - Bristol
    • Lafarge Cement Works - Westbury
    • Leri Tweed Mill - Talybont
    • Longfords Mill - Stroud
    • Lostock Power Station
    • Mckechnie Brass - Aldridge
    • Morlands Tannery - Glastonbury
    • NGTE Pyestock
    • NT Frost Electroplating
    • Penallta Colliery
    • Pine End Works
    • Sharpness Grain Silo
    • Spillers Millennium Mills
    • Spillers Silo - Avonmouth
    • Spondon H Power Station
    • Tone Mills
    • Tower Colliery
    • Vencel Resil
    • Wansbrough Paper Mill
    • Welton Bibby and Baron - Midsomer Norton
  • Leisure
    • Birmingham Central Library
    • Bristol Ice Rink
    • Bristol North Baths
    • Odeon Cinema - Portsmouth
    • Oriental City
    • The Broadway Cinema - Bristol
    • The Palladium Cinema - Midsomer Norton
  • Military
    • Avro Shackleton MR3
    • Bletchley Park - G Block
    • Farleigh Down Tunnel
    • Hallen ROC Post
    • RAF Greenham Common (GAMA)
    • Royal Military Academy Woolwich
    • Wentworth D-Day Control Bunker
  • Underground
    • Bethel Quarry
    • Coulsdon Deep Shelter
    • Dreadnaught (Malago Stormwater Interceptor)
    • Finsbury Park Reservoir
    • Kingsway Telephone Exchange
    • Oslo Nuclear Fallout Shelters
  • Other
    • Abandoned Farmhouse - Bristol
    • Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
    • Coal Exchange - Cardiff
    • Crookham Court Manor/School
    • Farnham Police Station
    • Hampton House
    • Home Farm & Farmhouse
    • Ingelbourne Manor - Malmesbury
    • Lloyds Bank - Bristol
    • New Bridewell Police Station
    • North Leamington High School
    • Prinknash Abbey
    • Salston Manor Hotel
    • Silverlands Orphanage
    • St Joseph's Missionary College
    • St Michael on the Mount Without Church
    • The Abbey School Tewkesbury
    • The Hobbit House
  • Links