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Weymouth was not without the necessary means to alleviate the ravages of poverty. In 1805 plans were laid to provide a poorhouse on the Wyke Regis road - thought to be on this site originally. With the enactment of the Poor Law, the town officials were moved to erect this Union Workhouse in 1836. The region's population at the time was around 17,000 and the costing for the inmates set at 7s.4d. per head.

It was largely based on the designs by Sampson Kempthorne, dressed in Portland Stone and was in use until 1929. It then was converted to Portwey Hospital, which provided care until 1987. The site was left derelict until recently when it was redeveloped as private residences.