Reception Centre

The Reception Centre is a prison building constructed around 1865, possibly designed by Captain W. Crossman, Royal Engineers, who was the general designer of The Citadel. It is made of Portland stone and has an asbestos-cement slate roof. The structure is a single-storey L-shaped plan, with the north/south wing projecting forward of the adjacent wing on the left. There is a small projecting porch at the front and another at the right return of the front corner.

The main façade features three windows on the left and two on the right, all of which are late 20th century good glazing-bar sashes with deep stooled cills. To the left, there are three arched lights followed by an arched doorway in the projecting porch, all framed with heavy rusticated surrounds and keystones. To the right, there is a pair of sashes set in a plain wall. The right return includes an arched opening in the projection, which was formerly a door but now contains a sash window, along with a door and two additional sashes, plus a flat-roofed projection. The windows above flat lintels have slightly rounded angles at the heads of the openings. The building features hipped low-pitch flat roofs with a modillion cornice, all set on a high plain plinth with rusticated quoins at the corners above the plinth. The interior is not accessible for inspection. The design reflects the style typical of The Citadel in the late 19th century, with excellent late 20th century replacement sashes made by prisoners at this facility.