The first workhouse, which is in Southwell, Nottingham, and which has been undergoing renovation since it was acquired by the National Trust in 1997, will open to the public next month (March).

The building is roofed in Cumbrian slate, an aesthetic probably lost on the original inmates but appreciated by Rodney Melville & Partners, the Leamington Spa-based architects leading the restoration.

They re-used as much of the original slate as they could, but still needed 30 tonnes of new material. The slate they chose was Burlington\'s Blue/Grey. The main contractors for the restoration were Robert Woodhead of Newark. The roofing specialists were Martin Brookes Roofing of Sheffield.

There were 566m2 of the Burlington slate laid in diminishing courses on The Workhouse and some of its outbuildings.

The Workhouse in Southwell was established by Rev J T Becher as a way of cutting the cost of \'outdoor relief\', the dole of its day. It became a model adopted throughout the country.