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Homepage > Prisons > Lockups and Tolbooths
Lockup

Lockups and Tolbooths

Lockups and Tolbooths were used extensively by local government to manage the wrongdoers in the community.

Lockups, from 1500 onwards, were created to provide a place to restrain or temporarily confine inmates, typically before trial. These buildings could be purpose built single celled structures, multi-celled or even a repurposed space, such as that of an empty room within a private dwelling or commercial building.

Tolbooths were a uniquely Scottish structure, developed in the 13th century, which would govern the customs, judiciary and imprisonment of criminals in local towns; there are a number of instances where tolbooths also had execution grounds attached.

NameAliasLocationActive
Aberdeen TolboothAberdeen1616/1629-1820
Aberdeen Tolbooth (Huxted Row)Aberdeen1820-1867
Aberdeen Tolbooth (Justice Street)Aberdeen1867-
Anstey LockupAnstey LynchgateAnstey1831?-
Bewdley LockupBewdley Shambles Lockup, The Old Prison CellsBewdley
Buntingford LockupThe CageBuntingford
Canterbury Borough Police StationCanterbury
Charlwood LockupThe CageCharlwood
Coveney LockupThe PoundCoveney1850-
Dartmouth LockupDartmouth
Edinburgh Canon-gate TolboothEdinburgh
Edinburgh the City TolboothEdinburgh
Elgin the TollboothElgin
Everton Lock UpPrince Rupert’s TowerEverton1787-
Farndon LockupFarndon1837-
Farnsfield LockupFarnsfield
Forres the TolboothForres
Gatehouse PrisonWestminster1370-1776
Glasgow the TolboothGlasgow
Great and Little Chishill LockupGreat and Little Chishill
Great Missenden LockupGreat Missenden
Illingworth LockupIllingworth1823-
Inverness the TolboothInverness
Lewisham LockupSt Mary’s Vicarage LockupLewisham
Malmesbury LockupSt Mary and St Aldhelms Abbey Church LockupMalmesbury
Merriott LockupThe BlindhouseMerriott
Parson Drove LockupPardon Drove1816-
Roydon LockupRoydon
Sawtry LockupThe Village LockupSawtry
Stonesfield LockupStonesfield
The Bocardo PrisonOxford-1771
Thornbury LockupThornbury
Whittesley LockupWhittesley Town Hall LockupWhittesley Lockup
Yalding LockupYalding
Yaldingford LockupThe Village LockupYaldingford

Is there a prison you’re looking for which isn’t on the list? Try searching these:

County Gaols, City and Major Prisons

Borough, Bridewells, Compters, Houses of Correction, Liberty Gaols and Town Gaols

Debtors Prisons

Hulks

Inside Out: A personal perspective on modern British Prisons

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