St Pancras: Excavation sheds new light on notorious workhouse

Gwilym Williams, project manager at MOLA, said the survival of such "extraordinary" details allowed them to get a "vivid picture"

A 200-year-old London workhouse thought to have inspired Charles Dickens may not have started out as inhospitable as its reputation suggests.

Archaeologists from the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) say they have uncovered unusual details while excavating St Pancras Workhouse.

They found brightly coloured walls, fireplaces and branded crockery.

MOLA says the site may have started out with a greater focus on support rather than deterrence.

Workhouses were established to support the poor by providing food and basic shelter but also served as a way of deterring people from taking advantage of the state, by making residents do repetitive tasks or hard labour.

Inspiration for Oliver Twist

Most were widely known to be inhospitable and harsh environments but the finds suggest residents of the St Pancras Workhouse may have had a slightly more hospitable experience, at least in its early iteration.

MOLA said the link between Oliver Twist and St Pancras Workhouse comes from the possibility that Charles Dickens based the titular character on Robert Blincoe, an inmate of St Pancras Workhouse whose story became relatively well known in the 1830s.

Workhouses were immortalised by Dickens' novels, including this famous scene in Oliver Twist

The workhouse was originally built at the site in 1809, and included gardens, infirmaries and a nursery.

It expanded several times to deal with severe overcrowding, with historical records recording multiple sick wards, difficult conditions and hard labour at the site by the late 1800s.

Dinner time at a workhouse in London's St Pancras, circa 1900

'Extraordinary, vivid picture'

MOLA said the team focused on excavating areas of the site where workhouse buildings were demolished after being bombed during World War Two.

It said one area, believed to be the original female wards, was extremely well-preserved, with walls "found standing up to a metre high, coated in vibrant blue painted plaster - conjuring up a very different picture compared with the dark, dingy workhouses often depicted in popular culture".

It added the presence of fireplaces suggested thought had been given to the comfort of the people living there.

The team found branded crockery with an image of St Pancras and the words "guardians of the poor"

The excavations also uncovered items used in the workhouse including "a large amount of institutional crockery" branded with an image of St Pancras and the words "Guardians of the poor St Pancras Middlesex".

Gwilym Williams, project manager at MOLA, said the survival of such details was "extraordinary", adding: "Previously, little was known about this building other than its shape marked on parish maps.

"These discoveries allow us to get a vivid picture of life in early 19th century workhouses."

Excavators found several items in excellent condition, including this ceramic hot water bottle

Archaeologists also found the remains of a bone toothbrush with horsehair bristles - showing personal hygiene remained important.

One of the rooms uncovered by the team contained patches of expensive Yorkstone paving

The excavations were being carried out as part of plans to build a new eye care centre on the site.

The new centre - called Oriel - is a joint initiative between Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and University College London. It is due to open in 2027.

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