County Gaol, Crumlin Road, Belfast, Co Antrim

County Gaol, Crumlin Road, Belfast

An early Victorian prison complex of exceptional architectural and historic interest, designed by one of the leading Irish architects of the time, Charles Lanyon, and built between 1843 and 1845 by the contractor Williams & Sons of Dublin. It is the first prison in Ireland to be built on the radial cellular plan and one of the earliest examples of this type anywhere in the British Isles, having been started before Pentonville Prison in London — the acknowledged British pioneering example — was finished. Together with the former Court-House directly opposite on the main road, to which it is also physically connected by an underground tunnel, it forms a very important architectural group.

The complex is built of County Antrim basalt with Scottish sandstone dressings throughout. It comprises a large central block in the Italianate style, with four long plain gabled wings radiating from it, a detached gatehouse also in the Italianate style to the front, boundary walls with blockhouses at each corner, front boundary railings, a ventilation tower, a laundry, a hospital, and a terrace of staff cottages at nos. 57–87 Crumlin Road. Later alterations and replacement fabric have, for the most part, not done irreparable or permanent damage to the original buildings: the essential layout, plan form, spatial organisation, and structural systems all remain intact, along with the most notable interior fittings.

MAIN PRISON ENTRANCE AND GOVERNOR'S HOUSE

A two-storey building of rusticated sandstone with a slightly recessed centre containing a tetrastyle portico in antis — that is, four columns set between projecting end walls rather than standing free. The main elevation faces south and contains the original main entrance to the prison in the form of a wide arched and vaulted passageway, now screened by a modern infill wall of concrete containing a smaller rectangular entrance. The south elevation is symmetrical, comprising two identical two-storey end blocks flanking the recessed centre. All three main blocks have low single-pitched lead-covered roofs hidden behind parapets and a blocking course; these are later replacements for the original slated pitched roofs, which were hipped over the end blocks, with a lead flat roof over the portico. On the party wall between the central block and the western block are two original octagonal chimney pots; on the corresponding wall to the eastern block are seven large red clay pots and one of rendered brickwork.

The walling is of rusticated sandstone in regular courses set on a deep plinth course, with vermiculated quoins and window dressings, faceted blocks to the string course, a bold projecting cornice, and shaped and fluted keystones to the windows. The original windows were rectangular timber sliding sashes — 6 over 6 with horns to the first floor and 9 over 9 with horns to the ground floor — but these have been replaced by modern metal-framed fixed lights with top-hung vents, except for a window in the eastern block which has been opened up as a doorway leading to a modern military hangar. Stone panels below the windows on each floor are vermiculated. The cill of the right-hand first-floor window of the eastern block has been partly built up with concrete blockwork. Each end block is two windows wide to each floor, with a balustraded parapet in sections corresponding to the windows below.

The recessed centre has four rusticated Doric giant columns with corresponding pilasters to each side; the entablature is similar to that of the end blocks but without a balustraded parapet. The main entrance was originally formed by a large central semi-circular archway with vermiculated voussoirs, recessed behind the screen of rusticated columns, and containing a pair of 12-panelled rectangular iron-bound double doors surmounted by a grille of iron bars; the whole archway is now screened off by a later modern concrete wall set flush with the columns, and the current entrance is a central rectangular doorway in this screen containing steel-plated double doors. To each side of the main entrance, recessed between the columns, is a narrow semi-circular arched window with vermiculated surrounds; both were originally timber sliding sashes with small panes but are now both blocked, using concrete blockwork to the one in the western block, and both retain original iron bars. The eastern block has a sunken basement of basalt rubble, whitened, with later metal casement and fixed-light replacement windows.

The west elevation is similar to the south elevation of each end block but is three windows wide to each floor, with three sets of balustrades in the parapet. The left-hand ground-floor window has been opened up as a doorway enclosed by a linking passage to a temporary modern building; the central ground-floor window has been opened up as a doorway containing a steel-plated door; the right-hand window has replacement timber sashes, 2 over 2 with horns; and the first-floor windows have replacement glazing as on the entrance front.

The rear elevation is of two storeys, comprising the two end blocks linked by original single-storey screen walls of stonework flanking a central gateway. This gateway projects in front of a recessed centre that is now hidden behind a modern screen of concrete brickwork and preformed metal sheeting raised on the stone walls below. The architectural character and detailing of the original building is similar to the main entrance elevation. Each end block is two windows wide to the first floor. The eastern block has modern replacement windows to the first floor and a replacement timber window to the ground floor, with a doorway to the right, and a basement storey visible in a well. The western block retains original windows to the first floor, but these are covered by later grilles. There is one large segmental arched window to the ground floor with rusticated voussoirs; it is a tripartite timber window with prominent mullions, comprising a large central rectangular timber sashed window, 4 over 8 with horns, flanked by narrower sidelights of rectangular timber sashes, 2 over 4 with horns, all surmounted by fanlights. This opening was originally the doorway or gateway leading into what was known as the van room. Behind the modern screen at first-floor level, within the recessed centre, the rear elevation of the central block has one window to each side of a large central archway. The left-hand window retains its original rectangular timber sliding sashes, 8 over 8 with horns, though reglazed with reeded glass and altered to include a top-hung vent; the right-hand window has replacement metal casements. Some rusticated voussoirs of the central archway are cut into by the modern angled roof of modern additions below.

The east elevation is similar to the west, except as follows: one baluster is missing from the parapet; the stone panels below the ground-floor windows are merely rough-faced rather than vermiculated; and the central ground-floor opening is a doorway forming the main entrance to the Governor's House. This doorway is semi-circular arched with vermiculated voussoirs, and contains rectangular timber double doors each with three panels, surmounted by a semi-circular fanlight with decorative radial metal glazing bars. Three granite steps lead up to the entrance, flanked by original plain iron railings mounted on low walls of large sandstone blocks, carried on a basement projection in whitened brickwork with a rectangular window to each side looking into the sunken basements. There is a sunken basement to each side of the steps, surrounded by low plinth walls mounted with original iron railings. Basement walls are of basalt rubble, whitened; two windows in the basement on the main elevation align with the windows above and both have later replacement glazing behind original iron bars.

The original main entrance to the prison on the south side of the building — a stone arched and vaulted passageway — is now enclosed by later additions. All the original stonework within the passageway is now painted except the voussoirs of the archway to the south; the floor is of concrete. The passageway comprises a tall semi-circular vaulted main compartment with recessed coffers to the vault. The painted flush walls of the vaulted bay contain two openings on each side, with single-storey rusticated walls extending to the rear of the building on each side beyond the rear arch, each containing one opening. All openings are semi-circular arched except the central one in the west wall, which is rectangular — a later alteration. All openings have recessed plain semi-circular arches; those on the west wall are closed by a barred gate and a modern flush rectangular door; those on the east wall are as follows: the central one is an open doorway; the one to the left is a blocked doorway; the one to the right is a window or hatch with a wooden cill and modern glazing.

CENTRAL BUILDING

A three-storey building of oblong form and essentially rectangular plan with a polygonal bay to the rear from which four radial wings extend. The main entrance faces south. The south elevation is three storeys, three bays, and symmetrical, with a central doorway in a slightly recessed entrance bay. Built of honey-coloured sandstone, much blackened in parts. The hipped roof is hidden behind a parapet; the original slates have been covered with a waterproof finish, and the original chimney stacks have been removed.

The slightly recessed central entrance bay is three windows wide, flanked by outer bays two windows wide with vermiculated rusticated quoins to their outer extremities, except on the plinth courses. There is a moulded projecting string course at first-floor level and a moulded cornice at the top carried on shaped sandstone brackets, surmounted by a smooth cement-rendered blocking course with moulded sandstone coping. The main walling is smooth sandstone ashlar to the ground floor and pecked in surface finish to the upper floors, all in regular courses. On the ground floor, the doorway and windows are set in continuous unmoulded semi-circular surrounds within semi-circular headed recessed openings, with vermiculated rusticated dressings, linked by a moulded string course at impost level. The doorway is incorporated in a triple-arcaded arrangement with two narrower sidelights. The double doors are rectangular timber, each leaf 3-panel, raised and fielded, with large rounded nail heads to the rails and a moulded frame, surmounted by a semi-circular fanlight with decorative metal radial glazing bars. The sidelights are round-headed timber sliding sashes, vertically hung, 6 over 6 with horns, with radial tracery lights, moulded sandstone cills raised with vermiculated rustication to the panel front, and iron bars fixed in front of the sashes. Windows in the two outer bays of the ground floor are similar but longer and sashed 10 over 10, with radiating tracery lights.

First-floor windows in the central bay are rectangular, set in vermiculated rusticated block surrounds, arranged as a triplet with the central opening blind; the timber windows to each side are fixed lights with top-hung vents, later replacements for the original timber sashes. There are moulded cills raised with vermiculated rustication to the panel below, and iron bars are affixed. Windows in the two outer bays of the first floor are rectangular timber sliding sashes, vertically hung, 8 over 8 with horns, set in plain raised long-and-short block surrounds, with iron bars affixed; the opening to the extreme left is blind.

Second-floor windows in the central bay follow a similar triplet arrangement to the first floor, with a blind central opening, but set in plain raised block surrounds; the window to the left is a timber sliding sash, 4 over 4 with horns, without external iron bars, while the corresponding window to the right is covered by a modern flush security door opening on to a small modern iron balcony supported on angled struts. Windows in the two outer bays of the second floor are identical to those of the first floor, except that those in the right-hand bay have been later blocked up with concrete brick.

The south elevation is further spoiled by later additions of modern metal trunking, lines of cables, and floodlights. The entrance is approached by a flight of modern exterior steps with concrete piers, plain modern steel railings, and snecked artificial stonework. A basement is present in the recessed central bay but is mostly obscured by the later steps, leaving only a portion of a basement window visible. Extending to the left of the south elevation is a curved screen wall of snecked rough-faced basalt containing a gateway of square ashlar sandstone piers, all raised to approximately double their original height by concrete brickwork and fitted with modern plain steel double gates.

The west elevation is three storeys plus a basement storey and eight windows wide overall, from the southern extremity to the angle with the projecting wing. The end return of the entrance front occupies the first two windows from the south: sandstone ashlar with a pecked surface in regular courses, with rusticated quoins to extremities and a moulded cornice on shaped brackets with a blocking course, all returning from the entrance front. The walling to the left of this is set back slightly and is of snecked basalt rubble, with cornice and blocking course as previous. A group of four windows on the second floor within the main elevational recess denotes the original chapel. All windows are set in plain raised block surrounds as on the entrance front, but some are later blocked with cement, reglazed with glass bricks, or given replacement glazing not matching the original pattern. The basement is of basalt rubble, whitened, approached down steps, and the ground floor and basement area are now largely obscured by later modern temporary buildings. Downpipes are of both cast iron and PVC.

The east elevation is similar to the west, with the basement approached down a ramp from the south end; some original windows remain intact as rectangular timber sliding sashes, 6 over 6 with horns, but others have been altered or later blocked; the first window from the south on the second floor was originally blind.

The rear elevation has three faces of a full-width polygonal bay containing the Inspection Hall, revealed in the angles between the radiating link blocks connecting with the cell-block wings.

INSPECTION HALL

Each of the three revealed faces of the polygonal bay is three storeys high and one window wide, on a basement, with a window on the ground floor, the first floor, and the second floor, although one ground-floor window is now partly blocked and another has been altered to a doorway and enclosed by later additions. The walls are of basalt rubble with a projecting sandstone plinth above the basement and a moulded sandstone cornice surmounted by a smooth cement-rendered parapet with plain sandstone coping. Windows are semi-circular headed metal fixed lights, five panes wide by four panes high, with radiating tracery lights, set in plain raised semi-circular sandstone block surrounds.

A-WING

An extensive gabled rectangular stone cell-block, three storeys high and 31 bays long, connected by a lower and narrower three-storey rectangular link block to the polygonal rear bay of the Central Building, from which it projects radially toward the west.

The south face of the link block faces the main road: three storeys high on a basement, and three windows wide; part of the ground floor and all of the basement are now obscured by modern preformed metal-clad additions. Walls are of snecked basalt rubble; roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses; moulded cast iron gutter. Windows are original round-headed metal fixed lights, five panes wide by four panes high, with radiating tracery lights, set in semi-circular arched openings with raised sandstone block surrounds.

The east gable of the cell-block, to each side of the link block, is blank walling with rusticated sandstone quoins and moulded projecting sandstone copings, with short returns from the moulded cornices of the long side elevations; snecked basalt to the front or south side and apex of the gable; roughly coursed basalt rubble to the rear or north side.

The south elevation of the cell-block, facing the main road, is of snecked coursed basalt — light in tone for the first 15 bays from right to left on the ground and first floors, darker in tone for the remainder. There are rusticated sandstone quoins to the extremities, a projecting sandstone plinth, a projecting sandstone eaves course, and anti-climbing bars attached below the eaves. The roof is of metal cladding; gutters are moulded, with cast iron downpipes painted green and unpainted PVC downpipes. Cell windows are segmental headed metal with small panes, set in raised rectangular plain block surrounds of sandstone with a projecting keystone; original metal bars are affixed within the surrounds, with later iron bars affixed to the outside face. The last two bays at the west end have larger rectangular windows set in sandstone block surrounds similar to those in the side elevations of the Central Building. There are two doorways: one at the tenth bay from the west, set in block surrounds of similar detailing to the standard cell windows but blocked with snecked basalt and surmounted by a later concrete cill below a small-paned metal fanlight; and one at the eighth bay from the east, segmental headed within a raised rectangular plain block surround, containing a rectangular timber door set in a wooden frame with a segmental headed fanlight now blocked, and a modern steel barred gate.

The west gable of the cell-block is three storeys high; the walling is of roughly coursed basalt rubble, uncoursed and repointed to the apex of the gable in what appears to be later repair work, with rusticated sandstone quoins to the right-hand extremity and to the second floor of the left-hand extremity, below which the wall extends flush as a screen wall of raking profile to the yard behind. There are moulded projecting sandstone copings to the gable with short returns of moulded sandstone cornice. Two windows — one each to the first floor and to the second floor — are set in rectangular block sandstone surrounds as on the south elevation but are blocked up and barred. Two later square ventilation grilles to the ground floor are crudely dressed with concrete brick.

The rear elevation of the cell-block, facing north, is three storeys with repetitive small cell windows similar to the south elevation, with a similar roof except for the addition of prominent modern ventilators. Walling is of roughly coursed basalt rubble, dark in tone to the ground and first floors and lighter in tone to the second floor. The last two bays to the west differ from the rest: the second windows from the end on each floor are smaller than the standard cell windows but follow the same sandstone dressing detailing; the windows at the end on each floor are larger, in rectangular sandstone block surrounds; the ground-floor end window has been opened up to form a later doorway with an iron-plated door and an iron barred gate. Five other doorways exist to the left of that, three of them blocked; three have jambs of brickwork and two have jambs of cement. There is a moulded cast iron gutter with a PVC downpipe to each extremity, while other downpipes are encased in full-height modern metal ducts. At the sixth and seventh bays from the east, granite steps lead down to the basement area, contained by plain iron railings.

The rear or north face of the link block to A-Wing is similar to the south face, except the wall is of basalt rubble; all but the top storey is obscured by a modern preformed metal-clad later addition.

B-WING

A long gabled rectangular stone cell-block, three storeys high and 19 bays long, connected by a lower and narrower three-storey rectangular link block to the polygonal rear bay of the Central Building, from which it projects radially at an angle toward the north.

The west face of the link block is similar in arrangement and design to the link block of A-Wing, with walling of basalt rubble; only the top floor is visible above later modern additions in rustic brick with a preformed metal roof covering that fills in the angle between A-Wing and B-Wing. The south gable of the cell-block, to each side of the link block, is blank walling of basalt rubble with rusticated sandstone quoins and moulded projecting sandstone copings, with short returns from the moulded cornices of the long side elevations.

The west elevation of the cell-block is of roughly coursed basalt rubble with rusticated sandstone quoins to the extremities, a projecting sandstone eaves course, and a projecting sandstone plinth. There is a moulded cast iron gutter with a cast iron downpipe to the south end — the lower part replaced by PVC — and a PVC downpipe at the north end, along with PVC soil pipes. Cell windows are repetitive and similar to those of A-Wing. The ground floor is partly obscured by a later modern passageway and a screen of preformed metal panels, and a modern overhead link passage projects from the sixth bay from the north at second-floor level. The roof is of Bangor blue slates in regular courses, with three sets of original flush rooflights; conical iron roof ventilators arranged in four pairs, though two of the ventilators are missing, probably of early 20th century date; and four later modern ventilators of rectangular form.

The north gable of the cell-block is three storeys high, of roughly coursed basalt rubble with rusticated sandstone quoins to the extremities, a projecting sandstone plinth, and moulded projecting sandstone copings to the gable with short returns of moulded sandstone eaves course from the main elevations. There are three original openings, centrally positioned: a ground-floor doorway and two windows above. The doorway has a pair of rectangular timber double doors, ledged and glazed with small panes, below a segmental headed fanlight with vertical glazing bars, all set in a rectangular sandstone block surround with a segmental arch to the underside of the head; iron bars are affixed to the fanlight and an iron gate is affixed over the doors, with spalling to the jambs. The windows are segmental arched with similar surrounds; they have perspex replacement glazing with modern steel bars behind the original iron bars. To the left of the doorway a later doorway has been inserted, containing a flush iron door set in a modern cement-rendered surround crudely imitating stonework.

The east elevation of B-Wing is similar to the west, except that the roof slates appear to be laid in diminishing courses; cast iron downpipes serve each end; perspex screens are affixed to the windows of the first and second floors except those in the end bays, which on the upper floors also lack the later affixed bars and retain only the original bars. At the seventh and eighth bays from the left there are four modern cement-rendered WC cubicles with a flat concrete roof, with doors missing. At the tenth bay from the left on the ground floor, a later doorway has been inserted below the original cell window, with cement dressings to the jambs and a steel barred door.

The east face of the link block to B-Wing is three storeys on a basement storey, three windows wide, with walls of basalt rubble. The main-wall windows are round-headed as on previous link blocks; the basement has one rectangular window dressed in red brick, with a rotted replacement timber frame, no glazing, and iron bars affixed over a projecting sandstone cill. At ground-floor level, between two windows, a segmental brick arch projects from the centre forming a flying buttress to the podium of the tall ventilation tower; the window to the right has been partly opened up to form a doorway leading to the enclosed area around the foot of the ventilation tower.

C-WING

A long gabled rectangular stone cell-block, three storeys high and 19 bays long, connected by a lower and narrower three-storey rectangular link block to the polygonal rear bay of the Central Building, from which it projects radially at an angle toward the north.

The west face of the link block is similar to the adjacent east face of the link block to B-Wing, including the brick arched flying buttress to the ventilation tower. The windows of the ground floor, first floor, and second floor on the left-hand side have all been later closed with concrete blockwork behind the original glazing. The basement has two windows: the one to the right is a rectangular timber sliding sash, vertically hung, 2 over 2 without horns, set in rendered brick surrounds with iron bars affixed; the one to the left has been shortened to a small six-panel timber fixed light due to later raising of the ground level by a flight of concrete steps.

The south gable of the cell-block, to each side of the link block, is blank walling of basalt rubble with rusticated sandstone quoins and moulded projecting sandstone copings, with short returns from the moulded cornices of the long side elevations.

The west elevation is of roughly coursed basalt rubble with rusticated sandstone quoins to the extremities, a projecting sandstone eaves course, a projecting sandstone plinth, and a moulded cast iron gutter with cast iron downpipes to each end, along with cast iron soil pipes. Cell windows are repetitive and all have later extra bars affixed, except to the first three bays from the left on the ground floor. The extreme left-hand window on the ground floor has a later doorway inserted below it, with an iron-plated door set in rendered jambs. The second window from the left on the ground floor has diagonal-pattern lattice glazing. The tenth window from the left on the ground floor has a later doorway inserted below it, with firebrick dressings to the jambs and a steel barred gate. The roof is of Bangor blue slates in regular courses with three original conical metal ventilators and five modern rectangular ventilators.

The north gable is similar in size and detail to the north gable of B-Wing except that the ground floor is whitened. A later square opening has been inserted high in the right-hand side of the wall and is covered by steel double doors. The central ground-floor doorway and the window above on each floor are dressed in sandstone as on previous wings; there is an iron barred gate and an unglazed fanlight. The windows are segmental headed timber sliding sashes, vertically hung, 10 over 10 with horns.

The east elevation is of similar character to the west: three storeys plus a basement storey, with repetitive cell windows; a moulded cast iron gutter and cast iron downpipe to each end. The basement storey is revealed from the first to the third bay from the south and then obscured by a later single-storey addition in concrete brickwork. Basement windows to the left-hand end have original bars but lack the later additional bars. At the sixth bay from the north end, steps descend to a passage at basement level which runs along the east side and around the corner along the north gable, all roofed over by a concrete slab. Three semi-circular brick arches fly across from the main wall to the basalt retaining wall of the passage on the east side, and four more arches exist at basement level of the west gable. Steps lead up toward the west at the end of the passage but the passage is blocked by a concrete wall; the floor of the passage is concrete. A doorway in the centre of the basement of the west gable is present.

The east face of the link block is three storeys high and three windows wide, with a basement area covered by the later kitchen block; the walling is of basalt rubble and the windows are round-headed as on the previous link blocks.

D-WING

A long gabled rectangular stone cell-block, three storeys high and 29 bays long, connected by a lower and narrower three-storey rectangular link block to the polygonal rear bay of the Central Building, from which it projects radially toward the east.

The north face of the link block is three storeys high and three windows wide, on a basement storey covered by a later kitchen block. The walls are of basalt rubble; the roof is of Bangor blue slates in regular courses; there is a moulded cast iron gutter. Windows are original round-headed metal fixed lights, five panes wide by four panes high, with radiating tracery lights, set in semi-circular arched openings with raised sandstone block surrounds.

The west gable of the cell-block, to each side of the link block, is blank basalt walling with rusticated sandstone quoins and moulded projecting sandstone copings, with short returns from the moulded cornices of the long side elevations.

The north elevation of the cell-block is three storeys plus an exposed basement storey, with repetitive cell windows detailed as on the previous wings. The roof is of Bangor blue slates in regular courses, with conical metal ventilators and flush rooflights. There are moulded cast iron gutters with cast iron downpipes to each end. The walling is of roughly coursed basalt rubble with rusticated sandstone quoins to the extremities, a projecting sandstone eaves course, and a projecting sandstone plinth; the basalt of the second storey is light in tone and that of the lower storeys is dark. At the eleventh bay from the east on the ground floor there is a rectangular doorway now blocked with basalt; the sandstone block surrounds have a concrete head to the doorway now forming a cill to a cell window, and the precise chronology of its development is uncertain, though it may have been a cell window originally. To the right of that bay a modern concrete brickwork flying link connects with the dining hall in the yard; a corresponding modern concrete brickwork flying link to the left of the tenth bay from the west on the ground floor makes a similar connection.

The east gable of the cell-block is three storeys on a basement storey. The walling is of basalt rubble with modern flush pointing; a lighter tone of masonry on a roughly raking profile to the top storey indicates a later additional storey. There are rusticated sandstone quoins to the extremities with a projecting sandstone string course to the top of the basement storey, and moulded projecting sandstone copings to the gable with short returns of moulded sandstone eaves course to the main elevations. There is a central opening to each floor level, dressed on the main floors as on the previous gable openings. The window is a segmental headed timber sliding sash, vertically hung, 10 over 10 with horns, with original bars, later bars, and a later steel mesh grille affixed. To the right of the ground-floor window is a smaller original opening dressed in sandstone as before but blocked with smooth cement render, lined. The doorway to the basement has a rectangular sandstone surround, chamfered, and the opening is now blocked with smooth cement render, lined. In the apex of the gable is a rectangular opening covered by iron-plate double doors. Extending north from the corner of the gable is a high wall of basalt rubble screening the D-Wing yard; later modern steel posts are fixed against the wall to support a modern preformed metal screen.

The south elevation of the cell-block is three storeys on an exposed basement storey with a sunken concrete area at its base along most of its length, except where later single-storey additions have been built. The roof is of Bangor blue slates in regular courses. There are moulded cast iron gutters with cast iron downpipes to the eastern end and near the centre, a PVC downpipe to the western end, and soil pipes in both cast iron and PVC. The walling is of snecked basalt — light in tone to the basement, ground floor, and first floor for the first 15 bays from the west, and dark in tone for the storey above that and all walling from the sixteenth bay eastward to the eastern end. Windows are repetitive and all of the standard cell type as before, except for the second to eleventh bays from the left in the basement storey, which are larger but follow the same style of dressings. The first window opening from the left is now covered by a later single-storey addition in basalt rubble with firebrick dressings. The fifth window from the left in the basement has a later inserted doorway, with the original sandstone jambs of the window extended down in smooth cement render, containing a steel barred gate. The eighth to tenth bays on the ground floor are obscured by a modern cement-rendered flying link block connecting with a modern two-storey gabled gymnasium. Most of the area in front of D-Wing is also occupied by modern single- and two-storey additions.

The south face of the link block, facing the main road, is three storeys high and three windows wide on a basement obscured by modern additions; the walls are of snecked basalt rubble. Roof, guttering, and window types and detailing are all as on the north face.

VENTILATION TOWER

To the rear of the central inspection area, known as The Circle, in the angle between the link blocks to B-Wing and C-Wing, and connected to their exterior faces at ground-floor level by two brickwork arches, stands the tall circular ventilation tower. It is a cylindrical shaft of brickwork of flaring or battered profile near the base, set on a polygonal podium of brick partly dressed in cement render painted black. The top of the tower is of deep sandstone, banded with iron straps and carried on shaped sandstone corbels; the shaft is banded with three iron straps at an intermediate point. The gaps between the ventilation tower and the corners of the cell-blocks of B-Wing and C-Wing, originally open, have been closed by modern concrete blockwork to single-storey height. Within the small enclosure are steps up to the link block of B-Wing.

OLD KITCHEN

To the rear of The Circle, in the angle between the link blocks to C-Wing and D-Wing and abutting their exterior faces, is a later single-storey kitchen with red brick walls and a polygonal rooflight crowned by a conical metal ventilator cowl. A modern single-storey concrete brickwork link projects to the east toward a modern gabled dining-hall block.

TUNNEL LEADING TO THE COURT-HOUSE

Close to the south-west corner of the Central Building, at basement level, is the entrance to the tunnel which extends under the main road and leads to the interior of the Court-House opposite the prison. The tunnel entrance is contained within a concrete-roofed enclosure of no special architectural interest.

RECEPTION AND C-WING VISITS BLOCK

Standing to the east of the Central Building and to the south of D-Wing, to which it connects at the rear by a passage to the first bay in the basement, this is a single-storey gabled building of snecked basalt with rusticated sandstone quoins, with gabled blocks attached to the rear. The south elevation has seven rectangular doorways set in sandstone block surrounds, of which five are now blocked up. There is a moulded cast iron gutter and a modern preformed metal cladding to the roof.

The west gable has wooden barge boards; a rectangular doorway as before, now blocked up; a rectangular window to the left — original small-paned metal, set in sandstone block surrounds but blocked up on the inside; and a small square window opening to the right with similar surrounds, unglazed and blocked up on the inside. The east gable is hidden by a modern addition. The east gable of the rear block has a rectangular doorway and two windows set in sandstone block surrounds; the doorway is blocked and the windows are small-paned metal. This gable is painted to window-head height and unpainted above, with an ocular opening in the apex, and a modern preformed metal decking to the roof. A gabled block to the north of that has been considerably altered but retains a timber king-post truss to the roof visible from the exterior in an open shed bay, with a modern rendered single-storey extension to the north.

LAUNDRY

A one- and two-storey building in semi-derelict condition, built of basalt rubble with brick dressings to windows and brick eaves courses. It comprises a gabled two-storey block to the south with a two-storey return to the north, the return flanked on each side by single-storey wings. The present main entrance faces north in the two-storey return.

The north elevation comprises a central two-storey block with flanking single-storey wings; the hipped roofs are of Bangor blue slates with raised timber louvres to the wings. There is a red brick chimney with a sandstone cornice. The rectangular main entrance in the two-storey projection is set in cement-rendered reveals and contains a ledged timber door with glazed panels. Two window openings exist on the ground floor: one now blocked with the cill removed, the other partially blocked with a projecting sandstone cill. Three windows on the first floor are rectangular timber sliding sashes, 6 over 6 with horns, with brick surrounds, projecting sandstone cills, bars affixed, and cement render to the head of one window. The wings are abutted by later single-storey additions of poor quality.

The east face of the two-storey block has a parapet wall; the windows are rectangular with brick jambs and cement-rendered heads. The east side of the wing is blank. The east elevation comprises the gable of the two-storey south block to the left, linked to a single-storey hipped-roofed wing to the right by a yard wall. The wing wall is blank but shows a trace of a blocked-up opening; the yard wall has a rectangular window with a vertically hung timber sliding sash, 9 over 9 with horns. The gable to the left has a red brick chimney on the apex; two windows on the ground floor are timber sashes, 6 over 6 with horns.

The south elevation has sashed windows to the ground floor set in rectangular cement-rendered surrounds added over original brick dressings; small ventilation grilles to the first floor are later insertions dressed in cement. A large rectangular doorway is a later insertion with concrete brick dressings, a steel girder to the head, and steel-plate doors. A single-storey wing extends to the left with a similar character to the previous, containing two rectangular sashed windows in later rendered brick dressings.

The west elevation of the original basalt buildings is obscured by a later single-storey red brick addition of no architectural merit, which abuts the end of A-Wing of the main prison.

HOSPITAL

A two-storey gabled building of basalt rubble with a wing that was originally single-storey with a slated gabled roof, now given a modern first floor and a modern two-storey extension. The main entrance faces south.

The south elevation of the original building comprises a two-storey block four windows wide, with a two-storey pedimented entrance bay projecting forward to the right, and a single-storey wing three windows wide set back slightly to the right of that. The walling of the main two-storey block is roughly coursed basalt rubble with rusticated sandstone quoins to the left-hand extremity, a projecting sandstone eaves course and plinth, and a roof of Bangor blue slates in regular courses. There is a moulded cast iron gutter with a cast iron downpipe to the right-hand extremity, the bottom of which is broken off. Windows are rectangular small-paned metal fixed lights with iron bars affixed, set in sandstone block surrounds, with modern steel bars fixed to the main wall above and below the surrounds.

The entrance bay has similar walling with rusticated quoins to its extremities, except that the basalt is snecked in regular courses below a sandstone string course at impost level on the front face. The central doorway is semi-circular arched with chamfered edges to the sandstone voussoirs and plain sandstone block jambs. An ornamented wrought iron radial fanlight, unglazed, is positioned over a modern steel barred gate leading into the porch. Above the doorway is a rectangular sandstone panel inscribed 'VR 1898 General Prisons Board' in raised letters, embellished with an imperial crown carved in relief. There is a rectangular window to the first floor as before, with moulded projecting sandstone dressings to the triangular pediment above.

The original single-storey wing is of similar walling to the main block, though most of the quoins at the right-hand extremity are now covered by a projecting modern gabled sentry box in concrete brick. Windows in the single-storey wing are as before. The first floor of the wing is of modern concrete brick construction with synthetic slates to the roof and PVC gutter, downpipes, and soil pipes attached to the original storey of the wing.

The west gable of the main block is of similar walling to the front elevation, with a large ground-floor window — a rectangular timber sliding sash, vertically hung, 6 over 6 with horns. The rear elevation of the main block is two storeys high, with two first-floor windows to the right of the main two-storey rear return — large rectangular timber sliding sashes, 6 over 6 with horns — and one similar window to the ground floor to the right of a lean-to block in basalt rubble with white glazed brickwork to the side wall. A two-storey short return projects forward from that: it contains rectangular windows in original sandstone block surrounds. The rear elevation of the single-storey wing is partly of basalt rubble and partly of white glazed brick, with a small single-storey block in basalt projecting forward and raised walls of concrete brickwork. Window surrounds on the rear elevation are of sandstone but some alterations are present. The west wall of the main rear return is two storeys high, with three windows to each floor detailed as on the front elevation. The gable of the main two-storey rear return is blank, with walling as on the entrance front and a sandstone ashlar chimney on the apex with a moulded cornice. The east wall of the main rear return is two storeys high, with an original flush rooflight to the roof, walling as on the entrance front except for an area of white glazed brickwork to the left, and a moulded cast iron gutter and downpipe as before, plus a PVC soil pipe. There are four first-floor windows — rectangular timber sliding sashes, vertically hung, 6 over 6 with horns — with surrounds, original bars, and modern bars all as before; the extreme left window is partly obscured by the modern first-floor extension. There are four ground-floor windows: three as before, but the extreme left one is a narrow rectangular timber sash, 6 over 6 with horns, set in white glazed brick reveals.

BOUNDARY WALLS AND BLOCKHOUSES

The boundary walls are continuous around the prison on all four sides, with a blockhouse at each of the four corners.

The external face of the south boundary wall is of coursed snecked basalt with a battered face, raised in height by modern concrete brickwork except at the west end where it has been raised with basalt rubble, surmounted by original rounded stone copings. The wall is broken in the centre by the main prison entrance gateway and Governor's House, with the boundary walling curving forward to abut it. At the western extremity is the south-west blockhouse, a modern structure in concrete brickwork cantilevered over the top of the corner of both south and west walls. The internal face of the south boundary wall is of roughly coursed basalt rubble, raised in height by modern concrete brickwork except at the west end where it has been raised with basalt rubble, surmounted by original rounded stone copings. The portion to the east of the central entrance has an offset sandstone string course from the eastern extremity to the point where an original internal curved screen wall once abutted the front boundary but was later removed.

The south-east blockhouse, on its external faces, is an irregular polygonal two-storey building with battered walls of basalt ashlar in regular courses with vermiculated sandstone dressings, a projecting sandstone plinth, string course and cornice, and a modern top storey added in concrete brickwork. The main entrance is in the inner wall, facing into the prison. The two main exterior walls, facing south and east, are two windows wide to each floor: semi-circular arched on the ground floor, glazed 6 over 6, with iron bars and later metal grilles affixed obscuring the original glazing details; and rectangular on the first floor, set in block surrounds with glazing details now obscured by later metal grilles. The short return walls facing west and north each have a pair of narrow vertical window openings at first-floor level. On its inner face, the south-east blockhouse has its main entrance in the centre of an angled wall of battered profile projecting into the prison compound. The wall is of basalt, smooth cement-rendered to the ground floor, with brick quoins to the exposed stonework angles surmounted by ashlar sandstone quoins to the angles above. The rectangular doorway is dressed in red brick with a rusting iron girder to the door head, which appears to be a later insertion.

The external face of the east boundary wall is of roughly coursed basalt rubble raised in height by modern concrete brickwork, without coping stones, with a modern blockhouse of concrete brickwork at the northern extremity. The inner face matches the outer face, with an angled face to the blockhouse at the northern extremity; this angled face is of square basalt, later cement-rendered except for the top courses, with a central rectangular doorway at its base containing an iron-plated door. The original entrance wall to the original polygonal stone blockhouse has been rebuilt to its outer faces and replaced by a modern lookout post cantilevered over the corner of the east and north boundary walls.

The north boundary wall, on its external face, is an obtuse-angled wall in two portions at each side of a central rear gateway. The portion to the east of the gateway is difficult to view due to steel mesh screening but appears to be of basalt rubble as on the east boundary; a modern concrete brickwork blockhouse stands at the end next to the central gateway. The gateway is modern, rectangular, and contains a pair of electrically operated steel-plated double doors. The portion to the west of the gateway is of original basalt rubble but is now coated with sprayed cement render and surmounted by modern cladding panels. At the western end the wall changes plane with a short run of basalt rubble raised in height by red brickwork, apparently the inner wall of the original north-west blockhouse which has now been removed; the wall changes plane again to extend to a modern north-west blockhouse of concrete brickwork now standing at the western extremity of the north boundary where it meets the new west boundary. On the inner face of the north boundary, the portion to the east of the rear gateway is of basalt rubble raised by concrete brickwork and uncoped, with a rectangular iron doorcase with hood containing an iron-plated door next to the rear gateway. The portion of boundary wall to the west of the gateway is rendered and surmounted by modern cladding as on the outer face, with parts of the cladding chipped off near the western end to reveal the positions of intramural burials. Returning south from the angled corner is a basalt rubble wall which abuts the west gable of A-Wing; this appears to be the original western boundary wall of the prison, now superseded by the present red brick west boundary wall located further to the west.

The west boundary wall, on both its external and internal faces, is a red brick wall; the external face is buttressed at intervals and entirely smooth cement-rendered; the internal face is unrendered. This is not the original boundary wall but a later addition.

OTHER BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES WITHIN THE BOUNDARY WALLS

To the front of A-Wing is an overgrown bowling green with a timber-framed gabled shelter centrally positioned along its western edge, a post-war addition of no special architectural or historic interest. To each side of the Central Building are modern temporary and prefabricated infill buildings of no architectural interest or merit. To the front of D-Wing and east of the Reception and C-Wing Visits Block are a number of modern buildings, including a gabled two-storey gymnasium dating from 1959, none of them of any special historic interest or architectural merit. At the eastern end of the area between A-Wing and B-Wing — known as A-Yard — stands a modern flat-roofed boiler house of double-storey height in concrete brick, with three tall cylindrical metal flues attached by iron struts to the north elevation of A-Wing; this is of no special architectural merit or interest. To the east of that is an earlier boiler house, a low gabled structure, smooth cement-rendered with corrugated iron roofs, forming part of the basement area, and of no architectural interest or merit. Within the area between C-Wing and D-Wing — known as D-Yard — stand modern gabled dining rooms and kitchens in concrete brickwork, of no special architectural interest or merit. To the rear of the compound, parallel with the north boundary walls, stand two ranges of stores, workshops, and offices: single-storey, of various dates and materials including basalt rubble, timber posts to open sheds, and slated roofs, but of no coherence, no architectural merit, and no apparent special historic interest.

The internal bounding walls to the yards are as follows. To the western side of A-Yard, extending to abut the north boundary wall, is a basalt rubble wall — a remnant of the original western boundary wall of the prison compound, formerly detached from A-Wing before that wing was extended by two bays, and later superseded in its original function by the present red brick west boundary wall. To the eastern side of D-Yard is a basalt rubble wall, partly rendered to the western face, incorporating one of the bounding walls of an original rectangular yard or enclosure to the rear of D-Wing, later extended northwards to abut the single-storey stores. To the northern side of B-Yard and C-Yard is a modern wall of concrete brickwork, partially cement-rendered and whitened, linking the northern corners of B-Wing and C-Wing, of no historic interest or architectural merit.

Between the rear of the Governor's House and the front of the Central Building, the forecourt area is bounded on the west by the original curved screen wall of snecked rough-faced basalt with a gateway of square ashlar sandstone piers, all raised to approximately double height by later concrete brickwork and fitted with modern plain steel double gates; the original corresponding screen wall on the east side of the forecourt has been removed.

Throughout the compound there are modern metal screens, partitions, covered passages, and shelters of no architectural merit, which spoil the appearance of the original stone buildings.

FRONT BOUNDARY RAILINGS AND PIER

Across the front of the prison grounds, bordering the pavement, are original iron railings with spear-shaped heads, mounted on a low plinth wall of snecked basalt with a sandstone coping, with scrolling ornamented cast iron stays at intervals to the rear face. A number of the railings are damaged, with heads broken off, and some of the larger posts are missing from the main gateways. There are three main vehicular gateways: one in the centre on axis with the main prison entrance, one at the west end, and one to the east of the main central gateway.

The main central gateway is now missing its original gates and piers, replaced by plain iron-plated gates mounted on steel posts flanked by concrete piers. Similar modern gates serve the large gateway at the western end, which is recessed slightly from the original boundary line, with short modern railings returning back from the remnants of the original piers — formed by a cluster of iron pillars of Roman fasces design with axe-head finials, now much damaged. Similar modern gates also serve the large gateway to the east of the main central gateway, also recessed slightly from the original boundary, with short modern spear-headed iron railings returning back to the modern steel western post, and a short concrete brickwork wall returning back to the modern steel eastern post.

At the western extremity is a square stone boundary pier of rusticated and vermiculated sandstone with a weathered cap — the original corner boundary pier of the prison site. Connected to it by one railing to the west is a smaller octagonal sandstone pier, a relic of the front boundary railings to Crumlin Terrace, a terrace of four 19th century houses no longer standing.

Between the main central gateway and the eastern gateway is a small pedestrian gateway set into the railings which appears to be an original feature, giving direct access from the street to the east front of the Governor's House. The original front boundary railings extended to the eastern extremity of the site but now stop at an intermediate point, abutting a later red brick hospital building inserted on part of the original prison site hard against the pavement line. The last eight sections of the remaining railings at the east end bound the ground in the ownership of this adjoining property, and in this portion of the original railings there are two later small pedestrian gateways.

STAFF COTTAGES (NOS. 57–87 CRUMLIN ROAD)

A terrace of 14 two-storey houses with two end houses, in rustic brick in the neo-Georgian style, designed in 1927 by the architects of the Northern Ireland Department of Works and Public Buildings under R.I. Smith, Chief Architect. The main entrances to the main run of terrace houses face south, while the main entrances to the end houses face east and west respectively. The terrace is composed in a symmetrical arrangement comprising a central block with a parapet to the roofline, flanked on each side by wings with a normal eaves line, terminating in end blocks with parapets to the roofline. The end blocks each contain one large house; the central block gives the appearance of containing two large houses but actually contains four small houses, although the entrance bays to the two outer ones actually lie within the flanking wings; each wing contains five terrace houses as well as the entrance bays to two houses in the central block. The terrace stands facing the main road, in the area to the west of the main prison entrance, between the north boundary wall and the front boundary railings, with a tarmac area to the front and a narrower alleyway along the rear.

No. 57 is a two-storey end house of rustic brick with a projecting smooth cement-rendered plinth, a projecting eaves course of brick headers, and a projecting string course of tiles or thin bricks laid flat. The roof is of steep-pitched pyramidal hipped form, with natural slates in regular courses. The front elevation faces south but the main entrance is in the side elevation, facing east. The south elevation is two storeys and two windows wide. First-floor windows are rectangular PVC fixed lights with top-hung vents, replacing the original rectangular timber vertically hung sliding sashes, 6 over 6 with horns; set in plain brick reveals with a flat arch to the head, with the cill formed by the projecting string course. Ground-floor windows are similar but coupled, with a keystone of thin bricks set in the flat arches. There is a brick parapet with a plain stone coping.

The east elevation is two storeys and three bays, with a slightly projecting central entrance bay containing a doorway on the ground floor and a window on the first floor, which projects upward as a chimney breast with swept copings of thin bricks, stone, concrete, or smooth-rendered haunches, and two red pots. The doorway contains a rectangular timber six-panel door surmounted by a semi-circular fanlight with vertical glazing bars — a later replacement for the original radial glazing bars — set in a semi-circular brick arch recessed in a semi-circular arch of thin brick voussoirs with a brick keystone. The first-floor window is a rectangular timber vertically hung sliding sash, 4 over 4 with horns, with a flat arch to the head incorporating a brickwork keystone. Rectangular cast iron gutters serve each side of the entrance bay at the normal eaves line, with a circular cast iron downpipe to the left-hand side; the parapet from the south elevation has a short return to the entrance front.

No. 59 is a two-storey terrace house of rustic brick with a projecting smooth cement-rendered plinth, a projecting eaves course of brick headers, and a projecting string course of tiles or thin bricks laid flat. The main entrance faces south. The south elevation is two bays, comprising a doorway to the left on the ground floor alongside a ground-floor window, with a window above on the first floor. The pitched roof is of natural slates in regular courses; there is a rustic brick chimney on the party wall with the adjoining house, with a projecting brick cornice and red clay pots. There is a rectangular cast iron gutter with a circular cast iron downpipe. Windows are rectangular PVC fixed lights with top-hung vents, replacing the original rectangular timber vertically hung sliding sashes, 6 over 6 with horns, set in plain brick reveals with a flat arch to the head. The ground-floor window has a projecting concrete cill, painted; the first-floor cill is formed by the projecting string course. The doorway is arranged as one of a pair with that of the adjoining house: a rectangular timber door with four horizontal panels, surmounted by a rectangular fanlight containing metal glazing bars in diagonal and looped patterns, set in a plain rectangular brickwork opening below a flat timber hood with a moulded cornice, common to both doorways, supported on three scrolling and fluted timber brackets.

Nos. 61 to 67 are similar to no. 59 but alternately handed.

No. 69 is similar to no. 59 but handed, except that the window bay projects slightly forward from the entrance bay; the ground-floor window is set in a semi-circular arched recess with thin brick voussoirs and a dropped keystone; and the wall of the window bay projects above the adjoining eaves line, rising to a moulded stone cornice surmounted by a brick blocking course with a plain stone coping. A circular cast iron downpipe is placed in the angle between the two wall planes. The chimney is shared with no. 71 and detailed as on no. 59.

No. 71 is similar to no. 59, except that the ground-floor window is set in a semi-circular arched recess as on no. 69; there is a recessed rectangular cement-rendered panel above the doorway, shared with the panel above the adjoining doorway; and the wall projects above the normal eaves line, rising to a moulded stone cornice surmounted by a brick blocking course with a plain stone coping; no rainwater goods are visible. The chimney is shared with no. 69 and detailed as before.

No. 73 is similar to no. 71 but handed; the roof has synthetic slates replacing natural slates; the chimney shared with no. 75 has been removed.

No. 75 is similar to no. 69 but handed; the roof has synthetic slates replacing natural slates; the chimney shared with no. 73 has been removed.

Nos. 77 to 83 are similar to nos. 59 to 67 but handed; roofs have synthetic slates replacing natural slates; the shared chimneys at nos. 77 with 79 and 81 with 83 have been removed.

No. 87 is similar to no. 57 but handed, with the main entrance facing west; the original four-panel doorway has been replaced by a modern flush timber door, but the original radial fanlight remains intact; the first-floor window has had its 4 over 4 sashes replaced by 1 over 1 sashes; and the original natural slate roof covering has been partially replaced by synthetic slates.

The rear elevations of all the houses are generally of plain red brick with one window to each floor — rectangular timber sliding sashes, 1 over 1 with horns, with a concrete lintel and concrete cill — though windows to some houses have been altered. Rear returns to the main run of terraced houses are of two storeys, gabled, and of plain red brick, with one window to each floor in the side wall overlooking the yard, and two rectangular timber ledged doorways — one leading to the kitchen and one to the coal shed — though some openings have been altered and some returns have been rebuilt with flat roofs and smooth cement-rendered walls. There is a gabled single-storey smooth cement-rendered and corrugated iron-roofed outbuilding of no architectural quality to the rear of the yard of no. 57, and a similar outbuilding with red brick walls to the rear of no. 87, with a later concrete brickwork infill block occupying its yard.

SETTING

The building complex stands on the north side of the main road, within the built-up area of the city, and is partly surrounded by currently listed buildings: a late Victorian hospital immediately to the east, a 1930s Masonic Hall immediately to the west, a High Victorian school to the north, and an early Victorian Court-House to the south, facing the prison directly across the main road. The main entrances of the prison and the Court-House are axially aligned, their front boundary railings are identical in original design, and the two buildings are physically connected by an underground passage.

To the north of the prison buildings, outside the rear boundary wall but within the overall prison grounds, is an extensive area of tarmac bounded on the north, east, and west sides by high basalt rubble walls. To the east, the overall prison grounds beyond the main prison boundary wall are separated from the adjoining property by a basalt retaining wall, returning at the south-east corner of the site. To the south, between the south boundary walls and the front boundary railings, the setting of the main prison entrance and Governor's House is spoiled by the close proximity of modern single-storey buildings including shelters, offices, a substation, and garages, in various materials and of no architectural merit or interest.

BUILDING HISTORY

The prison was designed in 1841 by Charles Lanyon in his capacity as County Surveyor for County Antrim, following a direction from the Grand Jury of Antrim to prepare plans in 1840. By 1841, the site, plan, and specification had all been agreed. Lanyon then made a visit to Pentonville Prison in London — which had only recently started on site — though only minor changes of detail were felt necessary to his scheme as a result. The prison was therefore right up to date at the time of its construction. It was built between 1843 and 1845 by the contractor Williams & Sons of Dublin, and was ready for the reception of prisoners by the summer of 1845. Additions were made in 1849–50; the front boundary railings and gates were built and the underground tunnel link to the Court-House was created in 1850, when the Court-House was built opposite.

The laundry standing to the south of A-Wing was built by 1858, probably by Lanyon around 1850 and coinciding with the displacement of the original laundry due to the extension of D-Wing; it underwent later extensions and conversions in the 1870s and 1920s. The hospital to the north-west of B-Wing was built in 1898, by an architect not known. The staff cottages at nos. 57 to 87 Crumlin Road were designed in 1927 by the architects of the Northern Ireland Department of Works and Public Buildings under R.I. Smith, Chief Architect.

ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY

The prison was originally built as the Belfast District Bridewell and House of Correction, but shortly afterwards became the County Gaol when the county assizes was transferred from Carrickfergus to Belfast. It was originally run by a Board of Superintendence and a body of Commissioners, both appointed by the Grand Jury of County Antrim; in 1877 control passed to the newly created General Prisons Board of Ireland; and in 1921 control passed to the Northern Ireland Government. The prison was closed for the holding of prisoners on 31st March 1996.

ORIGINAL LAYOUT

On the evidence of a preliminary plan of around 1841 (modified in execution), several brief descriptions published in the 1850s and 1860s, and a detailed layout depicted on the large-scale Ordnance Survey maps of Belfast of 1858, the original layout comprised a Bridewell for Females in A-Wing, a Bridewell for Males in B-Wing, a House of Correction for Males in C-Wing, and a House of Correction for Females in D-Wing; two long ranges of stonebreakers' sheds running parallel with the rear boundary walls on either side of a depot for stones; a circular arrangement of recreation yards for males in the area between wings A and B, and a rectangular arrangement of recreation yards for females in the area in front of D-Wing; and an angular blockhouse at each of the four main corners of the boundary wall. Wings A and D were originally shorter than they are now, with a detached Fever Hospital standing to the west of A-Wing and a detached Laundry and Washing House standing to the east of D-Wing; these detached buildings later made way for extensions to the wings.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE WINGS

Wings A and D were originally two storeys high, discounting the basement of D-Wing; the date when they were raised by a storey is not known. Wings B and C were three storeys high from the start. The cell blocks of A-Wing and D-Wing were both originally 15 bays long and were both extended to 29 bays by 1858, presumably as part of the additions of 1849–50; A-Wing was subsequently extended to 31 bays at an unknown date. Wings B and C were 19 bays long from the start.

A-Wing originally had a doorway to the exterior at the eighth bay on the south side of the ground floor. The original contract drawings showed the eighth bay on the north side at first-floor level containing a stairway to the roof space. B-Wing originally had a doorway to the exterior at the tenth bay along on each side, with a passageway to the outside created by the absence of a door to each of those cells. The original contract drawings showed the twelfth bay or cell space on the east side at second-floor level containing a stairway to the roof space.

THE GOVERNOR'S HOUSE

Built as part of the original layout, the building was originally two separate houses — one each side of the central arched driveway — not connected internally by stairs or passages at first-floor level. The eastern block was the actual Governor's House; the western block included the guardroom and bedrooms for the turnkeys. At a later date, uncertain, the two blocks were linked inside at first-floor level by a stairway from the Governor's House over the arched driveway and up to a passage created in the western block, from which an internal stairway in the same area was removed. In 1953 the Governor's House was converted to staff quarters by the architects of the Northern Ireland Department of Works and Public Buildings; bedrooms in both blocks were subdivided into smaller cubicles, while the main ground-floor rooms of the eastern block — the dining room on the north side and the drawing room on the south side — became a reading room and a recreation room respectively.

LATER ALTERATIONS AND ADDITIONS

In 1924, the bath house and laundry were converted to workshops. In 1928, the Weighbridge House was removed. In 1930, the rag store was removed from the angle between B-Wing and C-Wing, and part of the eastern portion of the ground in front of the south boundary wall was transferred to the ownership of the Mater Hospital for the building of a laboratory, erected in 1934. In 1934, a padded cell was converted from an existing cell in B-Wing, fitted out to the design of Pocock Brothers Ltd of London under the direction of R.I. Smith, Chief Architect, Ministry of Finance, Department of Works and Public Buildings. In 1938, a new roof was placed over the cookhouse. In 1940, the staircases of D-Wing were covered with oak treads. In 1941, a portion of the boundary wall to the rear at the west end was damaged by air raid and was rebuilt in 1942. In 1950, the stonebreakers' sheds to the east were replaced by modern sheds and workshops. In 1953, the Governor's House was converted to staff quarters. In 1959, a concert hall and gymnasium were added, by J. Forbes LRIBA of the Ministry of Finance. In 1961, internal tiling was applied to the floors and walls of the hospital. In 1964, the basement area of D-Wing was fitted out with baths and showers. In 1969, the stonebreakers' sheds to the west were replaced by modern sheds and shelters, and the new kitchen and dining block was completed. In 1970, the new boiler house was completed. In 1974, the new recreation block was completed to the north of the kitchen and dining block.

ORIGINS AND BACKGROUND OF THE ORIGINAL DESIGN

The layout of the prison — with a number of wings containing multiple storeys of individual cells opening on to continuous galleries, radiating from a central inspection hall — was based on that of Pentonville Prison in London, built between 1840 and 1842 and known at the time as "The Model Prison", as it demonstrated the latest theories in penal planning and was intended to establish a model to be followed by subsequent prisons. Pentonville was built to a plan designed by Major Joshua Jebb of the Royal Engineers, the Surveyor-General of Convict Prisons, with the architectural features designed by the architect Charles Barry. Pentonville's layout had itself been influenced by the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, USA, built between 1823 and 1835 and designed by John Haviland, which was the first to be laid out on the radial cellular system. Eastern State Penitentiary had seven wings off a circular core; Pentonville had four wings off a polygonal core.

Eastern State Penitentiary was universally accepted as the pioneering example of the new functional concept for penal architecture, and its radial layout was still being followed well into the 20th century in countries such as the United States, South America, and Spain. Its concept of separate confinement was studied and published by the English penologist William Crawford in London in 1834, and shortly afterwards influenced the design of Pentonville, which in turn dictated developments in British penal architecture for the next thirty years. Within six years of Pentonville, 54 new prisons were erected on the radial plan of cellular confinement, including Reading (1842–4), Belfast (1843–5), and Holloway (1851–2). The Pentonville model dominated British prison design until the building of Wormwood Scrubs in London between 1873 and 1885 established the claims of the pavilion principle, and its plan gradually replaced the radiating arrangement.

BASIS OF THE ORIGINAL DESIGN

The basis of the original design was what was known at the time as the "separate system" of confinement, as demonstrated by the example of the Model Prison at Pentonville. This meant the perpetual separation of prisoners from each other. Under this system each prisoner had an individual cell — all now stripped of their original fittings — exercise was carried out in individual pens, all now demolished, and the separation of prisoner from prisoner was maintained even in the chapel, which was divided into compartments and could hold 348 prisoners, though it has since been remodelled and refurnished.

Each cell was equipped with its own earthenware WC pan, a washing basin, and a bell to call the warder when required; sleeping was in a hammock. Presumably, since the model of Pentonville was closely followed, the furnishings also included a small table with a shaded gas burner above it and a stool. As at Pentonville, prisoners carried out work in their own cells. The cell size at Pentonville — published as 7 feet by 13 feet and 9 feet high — was followed closely at Belfast. The bell system was presumably also like that of Pentonville, which involved a hand-spring communicating with a bell that caused a small iron tablet to project outside to identify the relevant cell, though none of this equipment now remains.

Ventilation was apparently in the manner of Pentonville, with foul air carried off and the circulation of atmosphere maintained by means of perforated iron plates above the door of the cell, communicating with a large air shaft in the roof space. The cell doors appear originally to have followed the Pentonville type, which had a frame of oak; a door of steel framed flush on both sides with strong iron plating on the side facing the cell, riveted through; a small eye-hole in the upper panel with a cast iron escutcheon; and a square trapdoor in the panel beneath, let down by a spring, through which meals could be conveyed.

The food, when prepared, was elevated to the various corridors or galleries "by ingenious machinery, and conveyed from cell to cell along a species of railway", as a contemporary account described it — clearly in emulation of the arrangement at Pentonville, where metal carriages ran on four wheels along the top of the railings of the balconies on each side in front of the cell doors, straddling the open well between.

Separation in the chapel was presumably achieved in the manner of Pentonville, whereby all prisoners proceeded separately to the chapel and could hear and see the person officiating without seeing their fellow prisoners. Each prisoner as he entered his row of seats closed the side door of his compartment after him, and when a row was filled the officer fastened the whole of the doors in the row by means of a handle and crank. The back of each row of seats was of such a height as to intercept communication between the rows when prisoners were standing but not so high as to conceal them when sitting. Presumably the prisoners were required to attend the chapel each day, as at Pentonville. It is not recorded, however, whether the system of separation at Belfast was carried out to the same degree of completeness as at Pentonville, where each prisoner was required to wear a mask or hood over his face when being led from the cell to the exercise yards or the chapel, and had to wear it again when returning, so that prisoners would be prevented from ever seeing each other.