Kington Poor Law Union was formed on the 25th of August 1836. It had a Board of 29 Guardians from the 26 parishes that made up the Union.

The Board of Guardians first met on the 26th of August 1836, and a Building Committee, responsible for finding a site and building a workhouse, was formed. On the 30th of August. The Clerk of the Board was instructed to advertise for tenders for the building of a workhouse for 150 to 250 inmates. The successful tender was from Mr H J Whitling who quoted for a building for 180 residents.

Mr Whitling had built the Workhouses at Clun, Bridport and East Retford, in other counties. The Kington Union Workhouse was built in 1837 on a site to the south of the town of Kington.

The Workhouse was built to the cruciform design with an entrance block to the east. Behind the entrance block were four separate wings for inmates - male/female, old/young.

In 1963, the buildings were redesigned as Kingswood Nursing Home. It is now used as offices for the South Marches Housing Association, and the shape of the buildings has been much altered.