Summary
A late C18 village lock up.
Reasons for Designation
The Lock Up, East Street, Lacock, which is thought to date from the late C18, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural interest: as an interesting example of a village lock up, with pleasing detailing;
* Degree of survival: despite some repairs, the lock up survives mostly intact;
* Historic interest: as a reminder of early methods of maintaining law and order in rural areas;
* Group value: with the adjacent tithe barn (Grade I) are other listed buildings.
History
Lock-ups or blind houses (so called for their dim interiors) are small buildings built as temporary holding places for offenders being brought before the local magistrate, and also for the incarceration of drunkards, vagrants and people disturbing the peace. They were often built by the parish or a wealthy local resident. The earliest recorded examples date from the C13, and most fell out of use in the mid-C19 when they were made redundant by the formation of a regular police service.
Details
A late C18 village lock-up.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
315512
Legacy System:
LBS
End of official list entry
