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Homepage > Prisons > County Gaols, City and Major Prisons > Petworth Jail

Petworth Jail

Petworth House of Correction, latterly known as Petworth Prison, was opened in 1788.

Whilst initially it was built to house those ‘unwilling to work’, such as beggars and vagrants, by 1810 it would house 86 inmates who were either awaiting trial for a felony, those convicted of a felony, a misdemeanour, an assault, bastardy, desertion, poaching or more[1]. In 1843, it was made the ‘Gaol for the Western Division of the County, after Horsham Gaol closed[2], and by 1846 it was even used to house those who had been accused of homosexuality; most famously, local resident Daniel Steer who was tried for this crime[3]. By January of 1847, it could house 127 prisoners and it was even earmarked by the government to house those who had been sentenced to transportation[4].

Petworth prison floorplan
Prison layout superimposed on modern street plan

Whilst at the prison, the inmates were expected to be silent and spent almost all of their time in isolation as part of the separation system. Both men and women were imprisoned here and, during their stay, had to complete backbreaking tasks or face punishment: the most famous of these tasks was the treadmill.

The treadmill, unlike its modern counterpart, was not built to improve aesthetic image and looked rather more like a watermill’s wheel. The men, it was a male only punishment due to possible injuries associated with skirts becoming caught, would walk 30 abreast for 10 hours in the summer and 7 in winter; those unfortunate enough to stumble on it, would soon find themselves in mortal danger as there were no guard rails nor way of stopping it.

Petworth Prison closed in 1878, upon nationalisation, and was demolished in 1881. The only remnants of this once infamous establishment are the bricks re-used in a new wall from the solitary confinement cells; to this day, they still bear the marks of those unfortunate enough to have been kept and punished here.

Petworth jail
Petworth Prison
Petworth House of Correction

To find the former site of the prison, and to read the names of the former inmates, the location can be found below (the wall is in green on the map).


[1] An Account of All the Goals, Houses of Correction, and Penetentiaries in the United Kingdom (1810) p38.

[2] Petworth: A Sketch of Its History and Antiquities, with Notices of Objects of Archaeological Interest in Its Vicinity (18640) p97.

[3] http://rictornorton.co.uk/eighteen/1846burr.htm

[4] Accounts and Papers of the House of Commons, Volume 48 (1847) p5.

Inside Out: A personal perspective on modern British Prisons

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