Her Majesty's Prison: Main entrance and two flanking wings
Her Majesty's Prison: Main entrance and two flanking wings, St Loyes Street, Bedford, MK40 1HG
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1321042
- Date first listed:
- 14-May-1971
- List Entry Name:
- Her Majesty's Prison: Main entrance and two flanking wings
- Statutory Address:
- Her Majesty's Prison: Main entrance and two flanking wings, St Loyes Street, Bedford, MK40 1HG
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1321042
- Date first listed:
- 14-May-1971
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 15-Feb-1993
- List Entry Name:
- Her Majesty's Prison: Main entrance and two flanking wings
- Statutory Address 1:
- Her Majesty's Prison: Main entrance and two flanking wings, St Loyes Street, Bedford, MK40 1HG
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- Her Majesty's Prison: Main entrance and two flanking wings, St Loyes Street, Bedford, MK40 1HG
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Bedford (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- TL 04754 50053
Details
This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 17 May 2023 to amend the address and reformat the text to current standards.
TL 0450 1/76
831
ST LOYES STREET (north side)
Her Majesty's Prison: Main entrance and two flanking wings
(Formerly listed under DAME ALICE STREET, previously listed as HM Prison)
II
Prison entrance and wings.1848-9 by Thomas Smith. Flemish bond red brick with slate dressings. Slate hipped roofs. Brick axial stacks.
Plan: central entrance block with carriageway through and flanking wings attached only by prison wall behind.
Exterior: two storeys and basements, three bay central entrance and flanking wings, all with rusticated stone quoins, plinths, string courses and cornices. Central entrance with pedimented advanced outer bays, central round arch carriageway with vermicutated rustication to voussoirs and large double doors, two-light windows, the flat arches with large voussoirs and stone mullion. The flanking wings have pedimented centres breaking forwards with recessed round-headed doorways with keystones, fanlights, glazed doors and steps with iron balustrades and twelve-pane sashes with flat brick arches.
Interiors: not inspected.
Note: Bedford Prison was built in 1801 to the designs of John Wing (1756-1826). In 1848-9 it was extended, the perimeter walls and front entrance were rebuilt and the flanking front wings added by Thomas Smith, the County Surveyor for Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.
Source: HMP Bedford, Prison Handbook, and notes.
Listing NGR: TL0475450053
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 35507
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Her Majestys Prison Bedford Handbook, ()
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 16-Jul-2026 at 23:32:41.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.