Building record MDO19251 - Dorchester Prison, North Square, Dorchester

Originally built to the plans of William Blackburn between 1789 and 1794, on the former site of the medieval castle. The prison was rebuilt 1878-1885 following the layout of the Pentonville model and only Blackburn's gatehouse remains.

Originally built to the plans of William Blackburn between 1789 and 1794, on the former site of the medieval castle. The prison was rebuilt 1878-1885 following the layout of the Pentonville model and only Blackburn's gatehouse remains.

The Prison, North Square, was built on the site of a Medieval castle in 1790-92, although only the rusticated Portland stone gateway with semi-circular arch on the north perimeter wall survives of this period. The remaining prison buildings date from 1884-85.

Architect WILLIAM BLACKBURN
Builder WILLIAM BATES Slater. Contracted to work on the prison at Dorchester in 1789.
Engineer JOSEPH BALL Cast iron engineer. Contracted, with Wilson Birkbet, to work on the prison at Dorchester in 1789.
Engineer WILSON BIRKBET Cast iron engineer. Contracted, with Joseph Ball, to work on the prison at Dorchester in 1789.
Person of historic interest/notable pers 1904 1905 R G ALFORD Author of "Notes on the Buildings of English Prisons", Maidstone, 1910.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 1, 116 (Monograph). SDO148.

'(16) The PRISON was built in 1790-92 to replace the unsatisfactory County Gaol which had been erected at the bottom of High East Street in 1784. It was designed by William Blackburn who had been working with John Howard, the prison reformer, wand the builder was John Fentiman of Newington Butts (Dorset Procs. LXXVII (1956), 95; H. M Colvin, English Architects (154), 78, 204). The cell blocks have been rebuilt but the gateway of Blackburn’s prison survives; it is of rusticated Portland stone and has a semicircular-arched head under a pediment. A small brick building may have been a workshop but it has been completely remodelled.’

<2> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey 1 to 25 inch scale map, 1971 (Map). SDO18020.

(SY 69209090) HM PRISON on site of (NAT) Castle (NR)

<3> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 183 (Monograph). SWX1290.

<4> Good, O, 2015, Former Dorchester Prison, Dorchester, Dorset. Archaeological Evaluation (Unpublished document). SDO15296.

<5> Historic England, Historic England Archive, BF090943 (Index). SDO14738.

HMP DORCHESTER, NORTH SQUARE, DORCHESTER

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 453532 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

SY 69209090) HM PRISON on site of (NAT) Castle (NR) (1)

The Prison, North Square, was built on the site of a Medieval castle (see SY 69 SE 34) in 1790-92, although only the rusticated Portland stone gateway with semi-circular arch on the north perimeter wall survives of this period. The remaining prison buildings date from 1884-85. The gateway only is listed Grade II. (2-4)

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date) OS 25" 1971
( 2) Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England) 1970 An inventory of historical monuments in the County of Dorset. Volume two : south-east [in three parts] 1970 Page(s)116
( 3) by John Newman and Nikolaus Pevsner 1972 Dorset The Buildings of England 1972 Page(s)183
( 4) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest DOE (HHR) Dist of West Dorset (Dorchester) 8 5 75 80
(5) General reference Whiting J R S. 1975. Prison Reform in Gloucestershire, Philimore, 1

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:38PM