Cell Block (Debtors' Prison) former Her Majesty's Prison Gloucester

Former debtors’ prison built in 1826 and designed by architect John Collingwood for the County Magistrates. The building was converted into offices in the late C20.

MATERIALS: constructed of brick laid in English bond, with brick and vermiculated stone dressings.

PLAN: a rectangular range on a north-south axis facing the main cell block. The east elevation has a single-storey projection that runs two thirds of the building’s length.

EXTERIOR: a two-storey, originally three-storey, building with a low-pitched late-C20 roof with projecting eaves. The ground-floor is designed as an arcade of eight bays to the side elevations and three bays at each end. The brick piers have stone impost bands and each bay is infilled with a slightly recessed brick panel with a vermiculated stone cill: some brick panels are between stone jambs. Within each semi-circular brick arch is an iron-barred lunette window. There is a stone plat band that continues to all sides of the building and a raised cill band at first floor with the prison cell windows above, each within a vermiculated stone frame. To the end walls are similar cell windows to the outer bays, which have been blocked. To the south end, there is a semi-circular arched, iron window in the central bay, with glazing bars. To the north end, this central bay window has been removed and the opening partially filled with brick and a new opening inserted.

INTERIOR: to the south end, at ground floor, is an archway that retains the top section of a re-used Blackburn-era turnstile with decorative oval detailing. The pivoting gate has been removed (2013). The archway leads to the late-C20 staircase which has iron, stick balusters and a curved handrail. The internal plan form of a central corridor with cells to either side has been altered by the removal of internal partition walls to create office space. The central corridor is retained.

Pursuant to s.1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the Act’) it is declared that the C20 interior fittings are not of special architectural or historic interest.