The Old Gaol

The Old Gaol is a former prison complex built in 1775, with significant later additions forming a notable example of penal architecture spanning from the late 18th century through to the mid-19th century.

Front Range (1775)

The original gaol presents a symmetrical two-storey five-window range built of roughly coursed stone with yellow sandstone dressings under a hipped slate roof. At the centre, a wide three-window gabled bay projects slightly forward. The design includes a moulded sandstone eaves cornice that continues across the central bay as a string course beneath a triangular pediment with leaded copings to the gable. Most windows are four-pane horned sashes set in square sandstone surrounds, though the lower left window is a two-light wooden casement.

The central entrance is set within a tall recessed round arch formed of stone voussoirs. Within this recess sits a shallow stone doorcase with moulded cornice, containing a central six-panel door with glazed panels at mid-level, flanked by four-pane sidelights with recessed panels beneath. Above the doorway is a four-pane sash window. The pediment contains a roundel in a sandstone surround inscribed: 'The Magistrates sensible to the miserable state of the antient prison, in compassion to the unfortunate, caused this building to be erected in the year MDCCLXXV, Joseph Turner, Architect'.

The west end shows alterations to its openings: four-pane sashes to left and right (the former slightly moved), a blocked window at mid-level to the right, a three-light horned sash to the upper left, and a two-light casement left of centre on the upper storey. The rear elevation is of rougher coursed masonry with wide boarded eaves. At the left end stands a full-height canted bay with hipped swept roof, possibly a later addition, containing pairs of twelve-pane hornless sashes to each storey and single sashes to each canted face. The right portion has irregular openings: a boarded door in rendered surround with a tall twelve-pane horned sash immediately to its right at mid-level (probably a stair-light), two windows left of the doorway comprising paired horned sashes except for a six-pane sash upper right, and right of the stair-light two small windows, a boarded door and a blocked opening to each storey.

A later addition to the west end presents a two-gabled front to the road, with the left gable narrower and slightly set back; a continuous sandstone string course runs beneath both pediments. At the far left, a former doorway has been infilled with a nine-pane fixed window, with a small sixteen-pane horned sash immediately to its right and a four-pane sash to the upper storey. The wider gabled bay has two four-pane sashes to each storey, symmetrically placed. The pediment contains a semi-circular opening with radial glazing bars, possibly a ventilator. The east gable end has a catslide lean-to with no openings. The rear is three-window, with tall two-light casements to the ground floor. The upper storey has a two-light casement to the left, a sixteen-pane horned sash to centre, and inserted double boarded doors to the right reached by a fire-escape staircase.

Chapel and Machine House Range

This long two-storey range faces south and is constructed of large blocks of ashlar under a shallow hipped slate roof with wide boarded eaves and plain sandstone eaves cornice. The upper storey has four two-light wooden casement windows and a narrow iron-glazed window to the right end. Against the left end, in the angle with the Female Wing, is a first-floor walkway dating from circa 2000, comprising a curved steel structure on a steel post with full-height glazing. The ground floor has two narrow boarded and studded doors to the right end with plain overlights and large stone lintels, a small wooden casement to their left, beyond which are four irregular iron-glazed windows.

The rear elevation has rough irregular masonry to the base, possibly constructed by prisoners. The ground floor has a boarded door right of centre, two iron-glazed windows to the right, and a shallow round-arched light of stone voussoirs left of centre. The upper storey is four-window with alternating tall iron windows and two-light wooden casements. A later Pentonville wing adjoins to the far left. The canted north-west angle has a narrow boarded and studded door. The west end has a similar door with small-pane overlight reached by stone steps, and abuts the Female Wing to the right.

Female Wing

This narrow rectangular three-storey range faces east into the yard and is constructed of large blocks of ashlar with a shallow hipped slate roof, wide boarded eaves, dressed sandstone eaves cornice, and a brick stack to the south end. The east side has a boarded door to the left, a shallow window left of centre with cambered stone head and small-pane iron glazing, and a similar blocked window to the right. The upper storeys have very small windows with single wooden casements; the first floor has three windows offset to the left; the second floor has six windows. The curved steel and glass walkway from the Machine House and Chapel Range joins the right end at first-floor level.

The north end has an external full-height projection, possibly for a staircase, with a small-pane horned sash to its right at first-floor level. The west side is irregular four-window: a raised doorway to the left with double panelled doors, to the left of which is a tall four-pane horned sash to each storey, probably lighting stairs. Elsewhere are small iron-glazed windows, paired left of centre at ground and first-floor levels. A similar window appears at the south end at second-floor level, above an adjoining two-storey bay constructed of the same materials. Its west side has a wide infilled opening under a segmental brick arch; the east side has an opposing infilled opening with stone lintel. There is evidence for alterations to the south end.

Pentonville Wing

This large four-storey twelve-window range stands to the north-east of the complex, constructed of snecked dressed stone under a slate roof with wide bracketed eaves, surmounted by a brick ventilation tower. It features small square windows in stone surrounds with chamfered heads and stone sills, containing small-pane iron glazing. The east side has larger windows to the far left of first and second floors, possibly stair-lights. Corresponding taller windows appear at the right end of the west side. The left pairs of windows on the west side are closely spaced; the ground floor has boarded doors to the left and left of centre. Skylights are set in the roof pitch.

The north gable end faced the prisoners' yard and features a tall central canted bay with flat moulded roof, with tall lights containing small-pane iron glazing spanning the first to third floors. At first-floor level on the right canted face, a boarded door with stone steps bound by plain iron railings leads down to the former exercise yard. At ground floor level in front of the canted bay are double boarded doors with small-pane overlight under a stone lintel. To the left of the canted bay, a lintel marks the blocked doorway which led to the hanging scaffold at first-floor level.

The south gable end is cut back to the left, having been constructed around the 1820s block. At the centre of the gable end, at second and third-floor levels, are tall tripartite windows with small-pane iron glazing. Linking ranges to the infirmary adjoin beneath, probably obscuring the original entrance.

The square brick ventilation tower has sandstone dressings and sits on a battered base. It is topped by a pyramidal swept slate roof surmounted by a large square finial of decorative iron openwork, recently restored to its original position. Each face of the tower has a five-light stone mullioned opening. Detail includes a deep sandstone eaves cornice with recessed quatrefoils and an arcaded stone band to the base.

The Infirmary

Attached to the south end of the Pentonville Wing via a short linking range, the infirmary is a tall two-storey range with irregular fenestration, constructed of snecked stone under a hipped slate roof with truncated brick ridge stack and brick corner stack to the south-west. Detail includes dressed quoins, boarded eaves, and square sandstone surrounds to windows. The east side has four-pane horned sashes, those to the upper storey taller with overlights; the upper storey is four-window, the ground floor six-window with a small light to the left end.

The south end has a narrow boarded and studded door offset to the right, inset under a stone lintel, and a small square Pentonville-style window to the upper storey with small-pane iron glazing. An angle buttress stands to the south-west, and a stub wall to the south-east forms part of the entrance to the rear yard. The west side has two former doorways to left and right, now infilled with four-pane sashes, with a further four-pane sash above the latter. A tall window to centre of the upper storey has small-pane glazing. Remaining windows are irregular and at different levels, mainly Pentonville-style.

The short two-storey linking range between the Pentonville Wing and Infirmary provided a new main entrance. It is L-shaped, wrapping around the north-west angle of the Infirmary, with the entrance facing south leading directly into the Pentonville Wing and abutting the Chapel and Machine House Range to the left. Constructed of snecked stone under a slate roof hipped to the left end, with an angled buttress beneath, said to be on the alignment of an earlier building. The tall round-arched entrance of stone voussoirs sits over a flight of stone steps leading up to an inset doorway with boarded door to the right and tall small-pane iron window to the left. Above the entrance is a pair of narrow eight-pane sashes in sandstone surround. The east side of the linking range is set back from the infirmary, with altered openings including an infilled doorway and window; the upper storey has two small windows, iron-glazed to the left and a four-pane sash to the right.

Interior

The Front Range interior originally included cells for different types of prisoners as well as the governor's accommodation. Now used as offices, it retains a number of original features including panelled plaster ceilings, each large panel containing a foliate ceiling rose, moulded arches on capitals, and flagstone floors. The west room has spine- and cross-beams which could be earlier. The wooden staircase to the rear does not appear to be original. Some original cell doors are retained, including on the ground floor a two-panel door with iron plate attached to the opposite side, with strap hinges and studs. The former condemned cell upstairs, adjacent to the governor's accommodation, has a slate ceiling and floor and a heavy door with iron plate, studs and diagonal strap hinges, which opens outwards.

The Chapel and Machine House Range retains the well which fed a treadmill that pumped water to the Pentonville Wing. On the first floor is the former chapel, now the archives reading room, with a door to each end leading to the Female Wing and Pentonville Wing respectively.

The Female Wing has small cells along the west side, orientated axially, with segmental vaulted brick ceilings. Galleries with cast iron balustrading, as in the Pentonville Wing, are partly reconstructed. The vaulted basement has a fireplace, perhaps connected with heating; basement windows are infilled with rubble.

The Pentonville Wing interior is lined by cells, twenty-two to each floor. Those on the second and third floors are reached by galleries; those on the ground and first floors from slate flagstone floors. A central flight of brick stairs with iron railings linked the two levels but is now blocked; ceiling lights are set between floors. The individual cells have segmental vaulted brick roofs and brick floors, and boarded studded doors with decorative strap hinges, some replaced. Original detail survives, including vertical niches adjacent to cell doors for wardens to keep oil lamps after lights-off time, the original bell and cable signalling system, and the ventilation system inside the walls. In the north-east corner of the first floor is the condemned cell, which had an external doorway to the hanging scaffold. An original curved open iron staircase against the north gable end leads to the galleries. The galleries are supported on arched decorative brackets; the front railings with diagonal struts and circles are mainly reconstructed. The ceiling is open with large cast iron arched-braces; roof-lights are reconstructed, the originals having been removed in the 1940s.

Inside the doorway to the south gable end of the Infirmary is reception to the Archives Service, with a staircase to the left. From reception, a corridor along the west side of the range includes at least one niche containing a refrigerator (door missing), possibly used for storing medicines. The corridor leads north into the Pentonville Wing.