This spacious and well-built structure stands on an eminence rising from the Severn, which forms a beautiful object beneath. The site is highly salubrious, and the prospect delightfully variegated by many natural beauties. The majestic Wrekin, with an extensive tract of country, is seen to the right; while the front presents a very general view of the town, skirted by genteel residences partly obscured by the foliage of The Quarry trees, which, with the towers of the Castle, the lofty steeples of the churches and their glittering vanes, unite in producing a scene diversified and impressive, especially when the evening sun illumines the landscape, and gives to it that variety of light and shadow which poets have associated as only belonging to the scenes of enchantment and fairy land.

A fine terrace extends the whole length of the building, which was erected (in 1760) for the reception of orphans from the Foundling Hospital in London, at an expence of £12,000; but the funds of that institution not proving adequate to the plan of sending children to provincial hospitals, it was discontinued in 1774. It afterwards served as a place of confinement for Dutch prisoners taken in the American war; and in 1784 it was purchased under an act of parliament for incorporating the five parishes of the town and that of Meole Brace in the liberties, so far as concerned the maintenance of the poor, as a general House of Industry for their admission and employment, under the management of a board of directors.

Various circumstances, however, have concurred to render the establishment a complete failure, both as regards the principles on which it was founded, the economy to be effected, and the advantages eventually to result in favour of the united parishes, the select vestries of which now send but a small proportion of their poor, and those are generally infirm, who are maintained by a contractor, at a certain rate per head per week; but “averages” are still paid by the several parishes, to keep the extensive buildings in repair, for a salary to the chaplain, and other purposes of the institution, which continues under the ostensible government of directors.

The dining hall is 115 feet in length, parallel with which is a chapel of the same size, in which service is performed once every Sunday.