Lockup, Cirencester, Gloucestershire
This lockup (jail) was built in the 18th century. It was originally on Gloucester Street but was moved to here (Querns Road) when the workhouse was built in 1837. It is now in the grounds of council offices (the former workhouse). Before the establishment of a national police service minor offences such as petty theft and often drunkenness were dealt with locally by placing the offenders in a village lockup like this one. They were often built as part of a complex including the village pound, stocks and pillory. They date back to around the 1560s. Generally the lockup was used by the parish constable who had the unpaid job of keeping law and order in his own parish.
