Survey Data
Reg No
22108018
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Social
Original Use
Prison/jail
In Use As
Office
Date
1840 - 1850
Coordinates
189238, 136133
Date Recorded
14/06/2005
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Group of three bridewell buildings, built c.1845, comprising two three-bay two-storey blocks flanking central three-bay block at right angles to others and having half-hexagonal east end elevation. Formerly bridges connecting blocks at first floor level. Hipped slate roofs with dressed limestone eaves course and cast-iron rainwater goods, having rendered chimneystacks to central block. Roughcast rendered walls with dressed limestone plinth course. Square-headed window openings, with tooled limestone lintels, jambs and sills and having mainly fixed timber windows to flanking blocks, timber sliding sash six-over-six pane windows to short elevations of central block and to one first floor barred rear window of flanking blocks. Four-over-four pane windows elsewhere. Timber shutters visible to rear of central block. Four square-headed door openings to each block, three to ground floors and one to first floors, with tooled limestone surrounds, plinth blocks and tooled stone threshold, with replacement timber panelled doors. Former exercise area to rear enclosed by round-plan rubble limestone walls.
Appraisal
This interesting and unusual trio of buildings has been sympathetically restored. High-quality design and craftsmanship is evident throughout, from the partly half-hexagonal plan of the central block to the tooling of the many limestone surrounds. The buildings have an almost domestic appearance, but the rear elevations with their small barred windows give away the true function of these structures. They form part of a functional group with the former courthouse.