The foundation stone of the new Hull Prison, a large brick built edifice on a 12-acre site on Hedon Road, Hull was laid on the 9th of October 1865, with the building opening to inmates in 1869. It had been designed by the borough surveyor David Thorp who died before it was completed. It was based on the “Panopticon” principle … Read more
Kirkdale Gaol, known as the Kirkdale House of Correction, was constructed to the then fashionable Panopticon design, with six wings radiating from a central tower and opened in 1819. It was originally designed to hold 460 prisoners. There was a Sessions House (Court) on the site, at the end of Sessions Road to enable it to serve the West Derby Hundred (the … Read more
The new prison at Knutsford opened on London Road, Knutsford in 1818. It became the County Gaol for Cheshire in 1866 and would continue in the role until 1915. The original buildings were the Sessions House, Grand Jury Room, and House of Correction (as prisons were known at this time). Demolition of the prison took place in … Read more
The building. HMP Lancaster is a Grade 1 listed building and is Europe’s oldest working prison dating back to 1196. It has a capacity of 240 prisoners and is a Category C training prison. It is due to close in March 2011. Parts of the Castle are open to the public, including the Crown Court – it … Read more
The current prison at Lewes in East Sussex was built between 1850 and 1853 on Brighton Road (A277) in Lewes, at a cost of £56,000. It is of somewhat unusual appearance, in that the outer wall facings are of flint. It was designed by architect, Daniel Rowlinson Hill and as built had four wings, one each … Read more
