The original Workhouse was built in 1840 on a site of approximately 11 acres. The catchment area comprised of the needy poor of 25 local parishes.
After the Workhouse was built, additional building took place very quickly, to cope with demand and changing circumstances such as periods of high unemployment and agricultural "slump." In 1897, a 44-bed Infirmary was built and in 1924, a separate building for tubercular patients.
The 1929 Local Government Act ushered in steps to begin the abolition of Workhouses. Around this time, the name was changed to St. Andrew's Hospital, avoiding the stigma associated with the label of "Workhouse."
The majority of the Hospital's services were re-located elsewhere in 1997 and much of the land sold off for the housing development that we can see today.However much of the original Workhouse has been protected including the Gatehouse.
We should be able to wander around the buildings after the meeting.
There is plenty of free parking in Billericay on Sundays and there may be parking available opposite in Highland Grove.
Start : 1200 and Finish at 1230
That should give us enough time to waffle on about the recent trip out to Red Sands Fort, try to glean snippets of information about tricky caches and hopefully plan further adventures.
There will be a small bucket for Travel Bugs (notice that I have kept away from using TB!) and Geocoins. Hopefully I will remember to pose the assembled throng for an artistic photograph.