The workhouse

I knew there was a building in Guildford that was the former workhouse, so having time to kill this morning I went in search of it. I was expecting a grim building, remembering awful tales of life in the workhouse, so this was not what I had expected! However, I believe there is a less pleasant side of the building which is not accessible to the public at the moment. Now the building is a community centre and even acts as the local polling station.
When I researched my family history I found ancestors in the Workhouse at Sundridge near Sevenoaks, Kent in 1851. So sad.