HMP Dartmoor - Princetown

Introduction

The photograph on this page of HMP Dartmoor - Princetown by Mick Lobb as part of the Geograph project.

The Geograph project started in 2005 with the aim of publishing, organising and preserving representative images for every square kilometre of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man.

There are currently over 7.5m images from over 14,400 individuals and you can help contribute to the project by visiting https://www.geograph.org.uk

HMP Dartmoor - Princetown

Image: © Mick Lobb Taken: 26 Aug 2010

The rear of the prison viewed from the B3212 to Two Bridges. Constructed between 1806 and 1809 to hold prisoners of the Napoleonic Wars, it was later used to hold American prisoners from the War of 1812. It was then closed only to reopen in 1851 as a civilian prison. A change of use came about in 1917 when it was converted into a Home Office Work Centre for those conscientious objectors that were released from prison. They were extended privileges unknown to criminal inmates and were held in unlocked cells, wore their own clothes, and were permitted to visit the village in their off-duty time. After the war it was reopened as a prison in 1920 to hold some of Britain's most serious offenders. This view shows repair work in progress on a building now considered to be unfit for purpose.

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