Cheshire Prisons

Cheshire Prisons

Prisons within the County of Cheshire

New Wing of the County Gaol at Chester
This work is now near completion. The old buildings having been removed, says the local "Chronicle" the foundations were found to be defective, and this unexpected obstacle had to be surmounted by excavating the entire surface to a depth of 14 ft., the foundation walls being carried from a bed of concrete 4 ft. 6 in. deep, which involved an outlay of £1,375. On the 11th November 1867, the first stone was laid, and from that time the building progressed satisfactorily to the present. The form it takes is the section of an octagon, the front presenting two oblique angles, corresponding to the projecting angles of the chapel at the south-east of the gaol.

The entire length of the building is 140 ft. the width 46 ft., and the height to the ridge 43 ft. The front is of stone, scabble-faced, and taken from the old buildings, with the exception of the plinth course. The entrance is by a porch beneath a tower, or extraction shaft, which is 61 ft. from the ground, to which is attached a lightning conductor, half-inch copper wire, with glass insulators. The outer entrance, under the tower, is secured by a door iron-plated on the inside and at the edges, and beyond this are ordinary folding-doors opening into the main corridor. The width of this is 12 ft. 6 in. and the height to the ornamental cornice at the springing of the arch, 33 ft. on either side of the corridor are the cells for the prisoners, 84 in number, in three tiers of 14 on each side.

Each cell is 12 ft. by 7 ft. 6 in. by 9 ft. 6 in high, and is furnished with a table on ornamental brackets, a stool, a wash-tub and water-closet, while at one side of the table is a roller to which the end of the hammock is strapped, the other end being secured by hooks to the wall. The different tiers of cells are reached by an ornamental iron winding staircase in front of the main entrance, with perforated treads and risers, there being four flights and two landings, and is lighted by six windows, 5 ft. 6 in. by 3 ft. 6 in. From these landings there are balconies with ornamental iron fronts, resting on scroll brackets, which extend the length of the corridors on both sides and give access to the two upper tiers of cells. In the tower and easy of access from the second landing, is the officer's day-room, and above that his sleeping room, and from his position he can see down to the angles on either side of the corridor. In each cell there is a handle which, when turned strikes a gong near the officer's rooms, and throws out an indicator at the cell which requires attention. There is a jet to give a certain amount of light to each cell, while the corridor is lighted by jets from the scroll brackets supporting the railings. The heating is by means of hot air, to obtain which there is a saddle boiler under the corridor. A main is carried the entire length of this, and from it a pipe is carried to each cell, the prisoner being able to regulate the temperature by letting in cold air if he chooses. Besides this, the hot blast can be regulated by the admission of cold air, and for close and sultry weather there is a stove in the extraction shaft for increasing the current of cold air. The water for the use of the prisoners is supplied from two large cisterns fixed above the corridor arch in the roof, each prisoner obtains what he requires from a tap in his cell.

The architect is Mr. R.Griffiths of Stafford, the clerk of works, Mr. C. Smith, and the builder, Mr. H. Lovatt of Wolverhampton, who has the contract for the new county asylum at Macclesfield, and has been engaged in prison alterations at Stafford, Coldbath Fields, and elsewhere. The total cost of the work, less £668-4s-6d. for old materials, was £3,956-1s-11d., and the personal superintendence of it is, for the most part due to Mr. F.F.Foxall and Mr. Elsdon, the foremen of Mr Lovatt.
Source: The Builder 1869 Vol XXVII pp069, 23rd January 1869
Submitted by Alan Longbottom.