Bodmin Gaol Including Boundary Wall to North, West and South

Details

BODMIN

SX0667 BERRYCOMBE ROAD 629-1/2/5 (North West side) 10/11/69 Bodmin Gaol including boundary wall to north, west and south (Formerly Listed as: Bodmin Gaol)

GV II

Prison, now a prison museum and partly roofless and ruinous. Original structures 1778-1800. For John Call JP. Designed by Jones of Exeter. Enlarged 1842 and 1847 by George Wightwick of Plymouth. c1855 replaced by a new building on an extended site by Porter, architect, of London. MATERIALS: local rubble with granite dressings including chamfered surrounds or mullioned windows and stepped gables; dry slate roofs except where roofless to main cell blocks, eaves cornices with granite brackets; granite ashlar stacks. PLAN: irregular sloping site with tall perimeter walls: T-shaped plan with west-east block comprising a long 6-storey cell block with chapel and adminstration block over further cells on its right; crossing tower between cell block and chapel and stair turrets south of this linked to further 6-storey north-south axis cell block (later the naval prison) with 3 bays added 1901 to south. Parallel on the right (east) are offices and stores and hospital and administration block returned to right and formerly linked by a bridge to the cell block. To east are the Governor's House and the Chaplaincy, (qv). North of the Governor's House is the gatehouse originally fronting a pair of porters' lodges of which the south lodge survives. This leads into a stable and entrance yard with stables to north and a mounting block by the gatehouse. North of the prison were gardens, mill, workroom and kitchen; to the west an exercise yard for female prisoners and 2 other exercise yards to the south-west. 1892 former naval officers' quarters to south (qv). The 2 cell blocks each have parallel ranges of cells flanking a central former hall formerly with slate walks to each floor carried on surviving slate corbels. North block has narrow round-arched central axial vault with similar cross vaults to vestibules in front of cells to part of ground floor; this arrangement may be part of original structure and vestiges of a similar arrangement on the next floor (now partly roofed with a flat roof). Chateau-style architectural features. EXTERIOR: 5-storey plus attic cell blocks; 4-storey administration and chapel block plus 2-stage tower; hospital has 3 surviving floors plus a Nissen hut on top. The cell blocks have regular fenestration with 1-window per cell, most with their original 12-pane cast-iron windows. Chapel has 3 dormered windows to both N and S elevations over various single or paired lights, most with original or copy hornless sashes and outer cast-iron bars with central roundels. Symmetrical 2-storeys plus attic over basement. 3-bay east entrance front: central gable with bellcote with stepped gable over oculus over small window; flanking small gabled attic dormers; 2-light windows to ground and 1st floor, those to ground floor with round-arched lights; 1st-floor windows with cast-iron windows. Large central segmental-arched doorway approached by flight of granite steps with slotted vents to basement; C20 door with older sidelights. Left and right-hand 2-window returns under stepped gables; many original windows. Nearly symmetrical gatehouse is 2 storeys plus attic with end drum towers all under one steep roof with granite corbels under the eaves with deep eaves of central section multi-corbelled resembling machicolations. Central diagonally-set stack. Central segmental-arched carriageway with hoodmould continued as string; small 1st-floor window left of doorway, small stair windows to drums and ground and 1st-floor openings right of doorway. INTERIOR: chapel has gallery at east end with 3 round arches and panelled front. Cell blocks (see also plan) have original granite staircases. Each cell is vaulted and has doorway, food slot, one window and ventilation holes. Many have original quadrant shelves in one corner and some with central drain. SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: very high rubble boundary walls to north, east and south. Walls to east are included as part of naval officers' quarters (qv). HISTORICAL NOTE: the prison was built following an Act of Parliament; it was designed to hold 100 prisoners, mainly debtors and those guilty of minor offences. James Chapple, foreman for Jones of Exeter, became the first governor, a position he held for 50 years. The 1855 structure which replaced it contained 200 cells, a quarter of which were for females. (Long L E: An Old Cornish Town: BODMIN: 1975-: 7-13).

Listing NGR: SX0649067456

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

367948

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Long, L E, An Old Cornish Town Bodmin, (1975)

End of official list entry

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