H M Prison Dartmoor: A and B Wings

Summary

Two attached cell blocks comprising B wing, built between 1880 and 1885 to designs by Sir Edmund du Cane, and A Wing, dating from 1906-7. Both with late-C20 or early-C21 internal alterations.

Reasons for Designation

A and B Wings, H M Prison Dartmoor, being two attached cell blocks, one built between 1880 and 1885 to designs by Sir Edmund du Cane (B Wing), and the other in 1906-7 (A Wing), are listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: an integral part of the historic Dartmoor Prison complex, originating in 1806-9, A wing, built in 1906-7, replaces and is on the site of one of the prison’s original cell blocks, whilst B wing, built in line with that original cell block, forms part of the later-C19 development of the prison;
* Architectural interest: B Wing, built between 1880 and 1885 by the distinguished prison architect Sir Edmund du Cane, has a strong architectural presence, the use of rock-faced granite and heavy quoining contributing to the fortress-like appearance, together with the battered plenum towers and corbelled cornice; the design of A Wing effectively reflects that of the earlier wing;
* Degree of survival: the exteriors of the blocks remain little changed, with features intact and original window openings;
* Group value: the buildings form part of an important and relatively complete group of listed prison buildings, together reflecting the historic development of H M Prison Dartmoor and its distinctive radial plan form as first envisaged in 1806-9.

History

Dartmoor Prison was built by the Admiralty in 1806-9 on land leased from the Duchy of Cornwall, to receive prisoners of war. During the Napoleonic Wars of 1803-15 there were 47 prisoner of war hulks moored at Chatham, Portsmouth and Plymouth, and pressure on Plymouth was increased when prisoner of war prisons at Norman Cross, Northamptonshire and Stapleton near Bristol became full. The London architect Daniel Asher Alexander (1768-1846), was employed to design Dartmoor Prison.

The first inmates were received in May 1809, and by June that year the prison housed 5000 prisoners of war. As described in Risdon’s Survey of Devon (1811), and illustrated by two views by Samuel Prout (1809 and 1811), by a drawing in Ackermann’s Repository of 1810, and by a survey drawing of the prison of 1847, Dartmoor Prison originally consisted of five blocks laid out in a radial arrangement around a central market place, in total covering c12ha and surrounded by a double, circular perimeter wall. Internal walls divided the prison into a number of sections. In the central market place prisoners could trade with outside traders. The western part of the prison included an Infirmary and a separate Petty Officer’s Prison. The main entrance of the prison was flanked to the right by the Governor’s House and to the left by the Surgeon’s House. In 1812, following the outbreak of the trade wars with America, two blocks were added to house prisoners, and the Petty Officer’s block was converted into a barrack to supplement the large barracks complex south of the prison. The prison closed in 1816. Despite the opening of a railway from Plymouth to Princetown in 1827, the area saw little economic development following the prison closure.

In 1850 the prison re-opened as a civilian prison to address the contraction in the transportation of prisoners to Australia; alterations were made to the convict accommodation, and by 1851 there was room for 1030 inmates. During the 1860s, 1870s and 1880s a number of alterations were made to the prison by the architect Sir Edmund du Cane (1830-1903), appointed Director of Convicts and Inspector of Military Prisons in 1863, and Surveyor-General of Prisons, Chairman of the Board of Convict Prisons and Inspector-General of Military Prisons in 1869. Further rebuilding of the prison took place during the first quarter of the C20, with four new wings built between 1901 and 1915. A detailed description of Dartmoor Prison during this period was published in 1909-10 by RG Alford (Notes on the buildings of English Prisons, vol. 2, pp75-87).

During the First World War Dartmoor Prison housed around 1000 conscientious objectors, who mainly undertook farm labour or worked in quarries on the Moor.

Dartmoor Prison has seen much change in the course of the C20 and early C21. Major prison riots which took place in prisons across the country including Dartmoor in 1990, led to an extensive refurbishment programme to improve the prison’s security. Despite the degree of rebuilding which Dartmoor has undergone over more than two hundred years, the radial plan established by the original design has survived.

A and B Wings are in the southern section of the prison, set on a north/south axis. Until 1905, the site contained one of the prison’s original cell blocks, known as No. II Prison in the late C19. Between 1880 and 1885, B Wing was built adjoining and in line with the southern end of No. II Prison, and was originally known as New No. II Prison. It was built with 157 cells. The architect of this block was Sir Edmund du Cane; the other of du Cane’s cell blocks to survive is D Wing, to which the design of B Wing is very similar externally. In 1905, No. II Prison was demolished, and was replaced by A Wing, erected in 1906-7, containing 160 cells.

A Wing was refurbished in the 1990s, and B Wing has been refurbished since; both have entirely new fittings, and in-cell sanitation.

Details

Two attached cell blocks, set on a linear north/south axis. B Wing, to the south, designed by Sir Edmund du Cane, was built between 1880 and 1885; A Wing, to the north, dates from 1906-7. There are late-C20 or early-C21 internal alterations.

MATERIALS: squared granite rubble, with rock-faced granite quoins and granite ashlar dressings. The roofs have been replaced with metal sheeting, and the windows have been replaced.

PLAN: together, the blocks form a long rectangular footprint, with projecting ablution wings to west and east. The entrances, at the north end of A Wing, and in the centre of the east elevation of B Wing – are both served by late-C20 covered walkways. Attached to the centre of the west elevation is a shower block, thought to date from the 1950s.

EXTERIOR: B Wing is sixteen bays long, and is set on ground which slopes downwards to the south and east; as a consequence, the building is essentially four storeys high, with an additional lower floor or basement to the east and south-west, where the ground slopes downwards. A band of rock-faced granite marks the level of the basement on the west elevation, in the centre of which is a projecting ablution wing with heavy quoins. The building’s small horizontal windows have plain ashlar surrounds. Above the upper windows runs a corbel-course supporting a rounded cornice, above which a clerestory is set back. The clerestory windows are blocked; instead there are inserted lights in the metal roof. There is a tall plenum tower rising against the centre of the clerestory at the centre of each elevation; these towers are slightly battered towards the base, and have projecting cornices on corbels.

The design of A Wing reflects that of B Wing. A Wing is twenty bays long, and four storeys high, its windows similar in form to those of B Wing, and a similar corbelled cornice. A Wing has no clerestory, but has a pitched roof with inserted lights. The central ablution towers, to west and east, have outer faces, and rise through corbelled stages to a gabled stack. There are also two central plenum towers, with corbelled detailing as on B Wing.

INTERIOR: the interiors of both A and B Wings have been completely refurbished, with modern fittings throughout, though the original cell layouts remain.

Sources

Books and journals
Brodie, Croom, Davies, , English Prisons, (2002)
Joy, Ron, Dartmoor Prison, a complete illustrated history (2 volumes), (2002)
Stanbrook, E, Dartmoor's War Prison & Church 1805-1817, (2002)

Other
Historic England Archive Report HMP Dartmoor - Building Ref No. 92318

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.