Concrete Perimeter Walls, Zone F and J, The former Maze Prison, Halftown Road, Lisburn, BT27

Concrete Perimeter Walls, Zones F and J, The Former Maze Prison

A reinforced concrete security wall forming part of the perimeter enclosure of the former Maze Prison near Lisburn. The listing protects a representative section of the perimeter wall together with associated watch towers and observation towers, which are essential to understanding the security character and spatial context of the prison buildings.

The perimeter wall stands 5.2 metres high and is constructed from pre-cast reinforced concrete elements stacked two high, with footings extending within the prison. The modular blocks are strengthened on the external face by buttresses positioned at the junction of each pre-cast element. Some elements retain a splayed render finish on the external face. The external wall is topped with tubular coping, whilst internal walls (such as those to the east and south of Zone F) were capped with razor wire instead.

Within the perimeter wall and set back from it are weldmesh fences supported on timber and steel posts set into small concrete strip foundations. These create sterile or inertia areas along the inside of the perimeter walls and between Zone F and Zone J. Movement sensors were originally fitted to these fences but have since been removed.

The south wall dividing Zones F and J contains the main vehicular airlock entrances between the zones, characterised by hydraulically controlled weldmesh vehicular and pedestrian fences and doors. Both entrances are attended by movement control towers from which the gates were operated. These are secondary NIPS observation towers comprising steel-framed structures clad in profiled metal sheets, with internal ladder access to viewing platforms offering 360-degree views. Parts of these towers cantilever over the perimeter wall. Lower lean-to structures house the hydraulic equipment.

Primary army-manned watch towers are located outside the perimeter wall. Two of these tall steel-framed towers of square plan, surmounted by observation platforms of smaller square plan, abut or are immediately adjacent to the protected perimeter wall.

The northern section of wall to the east of Zone F dates from Phase 2 Cellular construction around 1976. The west wall of Zone F2, together with the west and south walls of Zone J and the wall dividing Zones J and F2, all date from Phase 3 Cellular construction around 1976 to 1977. The towers associated with each wall are understood to be contemporary with their respective walls. The airlocks, inertia areas, and inter-zone gates are attributable to the construction phases to which they relate.

The prison complex was designed by the Chief Architects Division of the Department of Environment (Northern Ireland) Works Service and built between 1960 and 1979.