We all know the story of Oliver Twist begging for ‘more’ in the workhouse. But were these institutions really as nasty, grim and brutal as Dickens depicts? In this first series of History’s Greatest Scandals, Professor Rosalind Crone and Ellie Cawthorne uncover some of the most infamous episodes of the Victorian age. And in this episode, they revisit an investigation into dire workhouse conditions, exploring what it can reveal about attitudes to the poor at the time.

History’s Greatest Scandals is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. For more fascinating stories from the past, head to HistoryExtra, the home of ‘History’s Greatest’ podcasts. There you can find other feeds including History’s Greatest Cities, History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories, History’s Greatest Battles and HistoryExtra LongReads. Find out more at historyextra.com/podcast.

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You can listen ad-free to this episode and more by subscribing to HistoryExtra Plus here: https://apple.co/4fgRA1d.

This episode was hosted by Ellie Cawthorne and produced by Jack Bateman.

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Bone-crushing hunger in Britain’s workhouses

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