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The Institutional History Society
Homepage > Prisons > County Gaols, City and Major Prisons

County Gaols, City and Major Prisons

Here you’ll find a list of all the major and famous prisons throughout the UK in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. To get on the list, the prison must be either famous or infamous or to have held such a quantity of prisons as to be deemed large, and have opened before 1950.

Some like The Tower of London are major because of the space they take up in the modern mind and still continue to contribute to the mythology of Britain, others like HMP Aberdeen because they have served as prisons for over a hundred years. Each, however, still has an interesting story to tell, from its design to its history and most importantly, through the lives of its detainees.

NameAliasLocationActive
Aberdeen New County and City BridewellAberdeen West BridewellAberdeen02/10/1809-1868
Aberdeen GaolAberdeen East PrisonAberdeen07/1831-
Abingdon County Gaol & House of CorrectionAbingdon Gaol, The old gaol Abingdon1811-1868
Appleby County BridewellAppleby1639-
Appleby County GaolAppleby County PrisonAppleby
Aylesbury County Gaol and BridewellAylesbury County Prison and BridewellAylesbury
Ayr Town and County GaolAyr Town and County PrisonAyr
Bath City GaolBath City PrisonBath
Bath PrisonNew Prison, Atwood’s GaolBath1872-
Beaumaris County GaolBeaumaris PrisonBeaumaris
Bedford County Gaol and House of CorrectionBedford Prison, Bedford County Prison, Bedford Prison, HMP BedfordBedford17/06/1801-Present
Berwick-upon-Tweed Town and County GaolBerwick-upon-Tweed Town and County PrisonBerwick-upon-Tweed1754-
Birmingham County GaolWinson Green, Birmingham Borough Gaol, Birmingham Prison, HMP BirminghamBirmingham1849-Present
Bodmin County Gaol and BridewellBodmin PrisonBodmin??/06/1779-
Borstal PrisonHMP Prison RochesterKent1874 – Present
Brecon County Gaol and BridewellBrecon County Prison and BridewellBrecon1782-
Bristol City and County GaolBristol City and County PrisonBristol
Bristol City BridewellBristol City BridewellBristol
Bristol Lawford’s Gate County BridewellBristol Lawford’s Gate County BridewellBristol
BrixtonLondon
Bury St. Edmund’s County Gaol and House of CorrectionBury St. Edmund’s County Prison and House of CorrectionBury St Edmunds
Caernarvon North County GaolCaernarvon North County PrisonCaernarvon
Cambridge Castle County Gaol and BridewellCambridge Castle County Prison and BridewellCambridge
Canterbury City BridewellCanterbury
Canterbury City GaolCanterbury City PrisonCanterbury
Canterbury County Gaol and House of CorrectionCanterbury County Gaol, Canterbury Prison, HMP Canterbury, St Augustine’s Gaol, St Augustine’s Gaol and House of CorrectionCanterbury
Cardiff County GaolCardiff County PrisonCardiff
Cardigan South County Gaol and BridewellCardigan South County Prison and BridewellCardigan
Carlisle City and County GaolCarlisle City and County PrisonCarlisle
Carlisle City GaolCarlisle City PrisonCarlisle
Carmarthen County Gaol and BridewellCarmarthen County Prison and BridewellCarmarthen
Chatham PrisonSt Mary’s PrisonChatham
HMP Castle Huntley1946-
Chelmsford County GaolChelmsford County PrisonChelmsford
Chester Castle County GaolChester Castle County PrisonChester
Chester New City Gaol and BridewellChester New City Prison and BridewellChester
Chichester City Gaol and BridewellChichester City Prison and BridewellChichester
Clerkenwell House of CorrectionClerkenwell Old Prison, Clerkenwell House of Detention and Middlesex House of DetentionClerkenwell1847 – 1890
Clerkenwell New PrisonClerkenwell New PrisonClerkenwell
Cockermouth County BridewellCockermouth
Cold Bath Fields County House of CorrectionClerkenwell
Coventry City and County GaolCoventry City and County PrisonCoventry
Coventry City BridewellCoventry
Cowbridge County BridewellCowbridge
Cowbridge County BridewellCowbridge
Dartmoor PrisonDartmoor Gaol, HMP Dartmoor, Princetown GaolDartmoor
Derby County Gaol and House of CorrectionDerby County Prison and House of CorrectionDerby
Devizes Town Gaol and County BridewellDevizes Town Prison and County BridewellDevizes
Dorchester County GaolDorchester County PrisonDorchester
Dumfries County GaolDumfries County PrisonDumfries
Durham County BridewellDurham
Durham County Gaol and BridewellDurham
Edinburgh County and City BridewellEdinburgh
Ely City GaolEly City PrisonEly
Exeter County High Gaol for FelonsExeter County High Prison for FelonsExeter
Exeter South Gate City and County GaolExeter South Gate City and County PrisonExeter
Exeter the County House of CorrectionExeter the County House of CorrectionExeter
Fisherton Anger County Gaol and BridewellSalisbury1578-1822
Fisherton Anger County GaolWiltshire County GaolSalisbury1822-1870
Flint North County Gaol and House of CorrectionFlint North County Prison and House of CorrectionFlint
Galleries of JusticeShire Hall and County GaolNottingham1449-1878
Gloucester City Gaol and BridewellGloucester City Prison and BridewellGloucester
Gloucester County Gaol and Penitentiary House AnnexedGloucester County Prison and Penitentiary House Annexed, HMP GloucesterGloucester1792-2013
Greenlaw County GaolGreenlaw County PrisonGreenlaw
Haddington County GaolHaddington County PrisonHaddington
Haverford-West County GaolHaverford-West County PrisonHaverford-West
Hereford City Gaol and BridewellHereford City Prison and BridewellHereford
Hereford County Gaol and House of CorrectionHereford County Prison and House of CorrectionHereford
Hertford County Gaol and BridewellHertford County Prison and BridewellHertford
HMP AberdeenCraiginchesAberdeen1890-11/01/2014
HMP BarlinnieThe Big HouseRiddrie07/1882-Present
HMP DumfriesDumfries1863-
HMP EdinburghEdinburgh1919
HMP InvernessInverness1909
HMP UskUsk House of Correction, Usk Prison, Monmouthshire County GaolUsk1844-Present
HMP PerthPerth1842-
HMP PeterheadPeterhead Convict PrisonPeterhead1888-
HMP ArmaghArmagh1780-1986
HMP Greenock1910-
HMP BelfastHMP Crumlin Road, Crumlin Road GaolBelfast1845-1996
HMP CardiffCardiff PrisonCardiff1832-Present
HMP SwanseaSwansea1861-Present
Holloway PrisonHMP Holloway, New City of London PrisonIslington1852-2016
Horsemonger Lane County Gaol and BridewellHorsemonger Lane County Prison and Bridewell, Surrey County Gaol, New GaolSouthwark1790-1891
Horsham County Gaol and BridewellHorsham County Prison and BridewellHorsham
Hull Town and County GaolHull Town and County PrisonHull
Huntingdon the County BridewellHuntingdon
Huntingdon the County GaolHuntingdon the County PrisonHuntingdon
Ilchester County Gaol and BridewellIlchestershire County Prison and BridewellIlchester
Ipswich County GaolIpswich County PrisonIpswich
Fleet PrisonHolborn1197-1846
Jedburgh County BridewellJedburgh
Jedburgh County GaolJedburgh County PrisonJedburgh
King’s Bench PrisonSouthwark-1761
King’s Bench PrisonQueen’s Bench PrisonSouthwark1758-1869
Lancaster Castle County Gaol and BridewellLancaster Castle County Prison and BridewellLancaster
Launceston County Gaol for FelonsLaunceston County Prison for FelonsLaunceston
Leicester County BridewellLeicester
Leicester County GaolLeicester County PrisonLeicester
Lewes PrisonHMP Lewes, Lewes County Gaol Lewes1853 – Present
Lichfield City and County Gaol and BridewellLichfield City and County Prison and BridewellLichfield
Lincoln Castle County GaolLincoln Castle County PrisonLincoln
Lincoln City Gaol and House of CorrectionLincoln City Prison and House of CorrectionLincoln
Maidstone County GaolMaidstone County PrisonMaidstone
Manchester City Gaol and House of CorrectionBelle Vue Prison, Mancester City Gaol, Manchester PrisonManchester
Marshalsea New PrisonMarshalsea New PrisonSouthwark
Middlewich County House of CorrectionMiddlewich County House of CorrectionMiddlewich
Millbank PrisonWestminster
Monmouth County Gaol and House of CorrectionMonmouth County Prison and House of CorrectionMonmouth
Montgomery County GaolMontgomery County PrisonMontgomery
Morpeth County GaolMorpeth County PrisonMorpeth
Nairne County GaolNairne County PrisonNairne
Newcastle-upon-Tyne County GaolNewcastle-upon-Tyne County PrisonNewcastle-upon-Tyne
Newgate PrisonNewgate
Northampton County Gaol and BridewellNorthampton County Prison and BridewellNorthampton
Norwich Castle County GaolNorwich Castle County PrisonNorwich
Norwich City BridewellNorwich
Norwich City GaolNorwich City PrisonNorwich
Nottingham County GaolNottingham County PrisonNottingham
Oakham County Bridewell and Town GaolOakham County Bridewell and Town PrisonOakham
Oxford Castle Gaol and County BridewellOxford Castle Prison and County BridewellOxford
Oxford City GaolOxford City PrisonOxford
Pentonville PrisonPentonville
Petworth County Bridewell for the Western DivisionPetworth Jail, Petworth PrisonPetworth
Poultry CompterPoultry CompterLondon
Portland PrisonPortland
Portsmouth Prison (Gloucester Road)Portsmouth
Kingston PrisonPortsmouth1877-2013
Parkhurst PrisonHMP ParkhurstNewport (Isle of Wight)1838-Present
Presteign County BridewellPresteign
Presteign County GaolPresteign County PrisonPresteign
Reading County Gaol and House of CorrectionReading Prison, HMP Reading, Reading County GaolReading1800-1899
Rochester City Gaol and BridewellRochester City Prison and BridewellRochester
Ruthin County Gaol and BridewellRuthin County Prison and BridewellRuthin
Salisbury County Gaol and BridewellSalisbury County Prison and BridewellSalisbury
Savoy Strand Gaol, Military exclusivelySavoy Strand Prison, Military exclusivelySavoy
Shrewsbury County GaolShrewsbury County PrisonShrewsbury
Southwell County House of CorrectionSouthwell
Stafford County Gaol and House of CorrectionStafford County Prison and House of CorrectionStafford
Taunton County Bridewell .Taunton County Bridewell .Taunton
The Tower of LondonThe TowerLondon
Wakefield PrisonWakefield House of Correction, Monster MansionWakefield
Warwick County BridewellWarwick
Warwick County GaolWarwick County PrisonWarwick
Winchester County GaolWinchester County PrisonWinchester
Winchester City Gaol and BridewellWinchester City Prison and BridewellWinchester
Winchester County BridewellWinchester New PrisonWinchester1787-1849
Woking Female PrisonWoking
Woking Invalid Convict PrisonWoking
Worcester City GaolWorcester City PrisonWorcester
Wormwood ScrubsHMP Wormwood ScrubsLondon
Wymondham (Windham) County BridewellWymondham
York Castle County GaolYork Castle County PrisonYork
York City and Ainsty GaolYork City and Ainsty PrisonYork
York City BridewellYork

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

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

Lockups and Tollbooths

Hulks

Debtors Prisons

Inside Out: A personal perspective on modern British Prisons

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