H M Prison Dartmoor: E Wing

A former isolation prison wing with attached exercise yards, completed in 1901 to designs of 1897 by Alten Beamish, Surveyor of Prisons, with late-C20 alterations.

MATERIALS: squared granite rubble with ashlar dressings. The pitched roof has four skylights to the ridge and two ventilation chimneys to either side of the roof slope. The roof is covered in metal sheeting replacing former slate tiles.

PLAN: the building has a rectangular plan. Built on a sloping site, it contains two rows of individual cells at one level at its west end whilst the east part of the building has cells are arranged over two levels to either side of a central atrium. Attached to the north and south elevations are five (formerly six) walled exercise yards.

EXTERIOR: the west gable end has chimney stacks to each corner (serving fire places in the former guards’ rooms near the entrance), and a central entrance, now linked to one of the late C20 covered walkways which replaced a small porch. To either side is a sash window with a tripartite window above the entrance.

The side elevations are 6 bays wide at the west end, each with a small prison cell window and larger sashes to the former guards’ rooms. The 7th bay is marked by two, full height projecting ablution towers, followed by a further 13 bays to the east, each with two small prison windows. Some of the window openings retain their original 60-small pane sashes.