Durham Gaol was built at Elvet in 1810 to replace the earlier jail in the Great North Gate which was the cause of serious traffic congestion in its day. Bishop Shute Barrington pledged £2,000 towards the construction of the new building and on the 31st of July 1809, the foundation stones were laid by Sir Henry … Read more
HMP Gloucester, Barrack Square, Gloucester, is now a category B adult local prison and young offender remand centre. It was originally built as the County Gaol in 1782 at a cost of £34,873 and substantially rebuilt in 1840, giving it a capacity of 350 prisoners each in a separate cell. 300 men and 50 women could be accommodated by this time and there were also … Read more
In the late 18th century many counties in England and Wales constructed new county gaols to replace their dilapidated and/or unsuitable ones. Herefordshire was no exception and began planning a new county gaol and house of correction in 1790. The new County Gaol was designed on a cruciform plan by architect John Nash and his design approved in July 1792. The prison was constructed … Read more
The construction of Holloway Prison, to the designs of James Bunstone Bunning, began in 1849 and was completed in 1852 to form the City of London House of Correction, opening in October 1852. As built, it had three wings for males and one for females and juveniles. It was the main prison for the City of London and … Read more
The Surrey County Gaol or New Gaol, as it was known, was built by George Gwilt as the main prison for the county of Surrey, between 1791 and 1799 in Horsemonger Lane, Southwark, in what is now south London. In those days, the county of Surrey extended right up to the boundary with the City of London. It was to be one of the new “model prisons” coming into … Read more
