Hm Young Offender Institution, West Cell Block

This is a prison cell block, part of the HM Young Offender Institution, built in 1898. It comprises the Raleigh, Drake, and Benbow wings and is constructed from fine coursed Portland ashlar, with some rock-faced masonry, and has slate roofs. The building has a T-shape, consisting of a long north-south wing and a shorter east-west wing projecting centrally from the west side. It rises in five or six storeys, with 8:1:15:1:6 bays to the east and 13 bays to the central arm, linked by angled sections (splays) to the main block. The single bays are projecting service towers, and not staircases. The windows are small, square-headed iron casements with small panes, set in flush chamfered surrounds and heavy weathered cills. On the service towers, the windows are set in returns and have a plain outer wall rising to a steep coped gable. Most ground-floor windows have been modified, with openings extended to meet the underside of the first-floor cills. Coped gable ends feature heavy 3-course kneelers and contain four by three close-set vertical casements in flush chamfer surrounds, although the ground floor contains three wide-spaced square lights, some of which are blind. Entrances are located at the ends of the blocks and at the base of the service towers. The angled sections connecting the arms contain close-set segmental-headed lights at each level. Ten lofty stacks stand with rock-faced quoins, a plain necking band, and dentilled cappings. The eaves are formed from two continuous chamfered courses above bold dentils. Internally, the building retains much of its original structure and fittings, including stone flush-soffit dog-leg stairs with simple rail balusters, original cell doors, access balconies supported on cast-iron brackets, iron rod roof trusses with long runs of laylights, and painted brick walls and partitions. The building, alongside the Grenville/Nelson block, is a characteristically bold design executed in splendid masonry that shows little sign of discolouration or deterioration. It replaced the earlier timber-clad structures of 1848 and dominates views from many parts of the island.