H M Prison Dartmoor: E Wing

H M Prison Dartmoor: E Wing is a former isolation prison wing completed in 1901, designed in 1897 by Alten Beamish, Surveyor of Prisons, with late 20th-century alterations. The building is constructed from squared granite rubble with ashlar dressings. Its pitched roof features four skylights along the ridge and two ventilation chimneys on either side, covered in metal sheeting that replaced the original slate tiles.

The building has a rectangular plan and is situated on a sloping site. The west end contains two rows of individual cells at one level, while the east part has cells arranged over two levels around a central atrium. Attached to the north and south sides are five walled exercise yards, formerly six.

The exterior of the west gable end includes chimney stacks at each corner, which serve fireplaces in the former guards’ rooms near the entrance. The central entrance is now connected to one of the late 20th-century covered walkways that replaced a small porch. Flanking the entrance are sash windows, with a tripartite window above.

The side elevations are six bays wide at the west end, each featuring a small prison cell window and larger sashes for the former guards’ rooms. The seventh bay is marked by two full-height projecting ablution towers, followed by an additional thirteen bays to the east, each with two small prison windows. Some window openings still retain their original 60-small pane sashes.