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Walton workhouse, Rice Lane

In 1864-9, a new workhouse was built on Rice Lane at Walton-on-the-Hill to serve the northern part of the West Derby Union. It was designed by William Culshaw who was also the architect of the nearby Toxteth Park workhouse. The Walton workhouse initially accommodated 1,200 inmates and its construction cost £65,000. It gradually expanded and by 1930 could hold up to 2,500. The main building was a long three-storey T-shaped block with males accommodated at the east and females at the west. The workhouse later became Walton Institution and then Walton Hospital until its closure in the late 1990s.