Her Majesty's Prison: governor's office, offices, boardroom, security and reception block

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 17 May 2023 to amend the address and reformat the text to current standards.

TL 0450 1/10000

ST LOYES STREET Her Majesty's Prison: Governor's office, offices, boardroom, security and reception block

(Formerly listed under DAME ALICE STREET)

II Original prison. 1801 by John Wing. Flemish bond red brick with painted stone dressings. Slate roofs with stone coped pedimental gable ends. Brick end stacks.

Plan: cruciform plan, the rear wing subsumed into 1848-9 extension (qv). 1848-9 'F' wing added on east and C20 wing added on west.

Exterior: three storeys. 4:3:4 bay south front, centre three in projecting wing with rebuilt pedimental gable with bullseye. Bands at first floor and mid storey level. Plain stone window architraves, sills, and bars; centre three in round-headed arches, the central doorway with semi-circular fanlight and glazed double doors. Central three windows on first and second floor are C19 twelve-pane sashes. C20 single storey wing in angle on right; C20 extension on left (west) end and 1848-9 'F' wing on right (east). Small first and second floor rear windows with cill bands; the east wing's ground floor rear windows have round arches.

Interior: not inspected.

Note: Bedford Prison was built in 1801 to the designs of John Wing (1756-1826), architect and builder. In 1848-9 it was extended, the perimeter walls (qv) and front entrance (qv) were rebuilt and the flanking front wings (qv) added by Thomas Smith, the County Surveyor for Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.

Source: HMP Bedford, Prison Handbook, and notes. Circa 1820, illustration by Fisher.

Listing NGR: TL0478050070