Curiosities of Staffordshire - The Bastille Workhouse of Chell

Today on Curiosities of Staffordshire we visit the pauper's graveyard of the infamous "Bastille" of Chell as featured in the novel Clayhanger by Arnold Bennett - The Wolstanton and Burslem Workhouse which was situated on Turnhurst Road, very near to the site of the former Turnhurst Hall. The workhouse was demolished in 1993 and the hospital attached to the site (Westcliffe Hospital) in 2009 but the pauper's graveyard was spared the intrusions of housing developments in the early 1990s and remains untouched (and unloved) to this day, a patch of greenery amongst the suburban housing. Little is visible on the site of the graveyard but it is marked by a memorial and is accessible from Turnhurst road opposite what is now Maple West Care Home and also from the Scotia Valley greenway running the other side.

[@Magdalena76h]

I have long been interested in this lost building, having lived in Chell in 1995, and having now moved to Stoke-on-Trent to live with my partner, and being fascinated by history and heritage my whole life!! Thank you for including the Cemetery, the site of which I have visited before. I enjoy your videos, please keep up the good work! ❤

[@PotterNo1]

No problem! I didn't grow up in the area so I don't remember the buildings when they were still standing. I had heard the rumors about the cemetery being located somewhere around the housing estates but I only recently found out where it actually was.