The Workhouse at Southwell, owned by the National Trust, is unlike any of its other properties. It is the most original surviving example of workhouse architecture in Britain and was built to a design which many other ‘unions’ copied. The master’s room was positioned so that he could oversee the inmates and staff. Visitors can take the excellent audio tour which really brings the mostly empty building to life, with details from the archives about inmates, staff and what each room was used for.