CUMBRIA. Lock-ups at Cartmel, Hawkshead, Keswick and Workington.

I have located just four very differing lock-ups in Cumbria.

The lock-up at Cartmel is now part of a holiday complex and is PRIVATE PROPERTY.
It is situated at Wharton Barn,The Square, LA11 6QF. Nothing is known of its history.

 

 

CARTMEL

 



Photo's by flipflopnick

 With expressed permission

 

Many thanks to Nick for allowing me to copy his photographs.

 

 

PLEASE RESPECT PRIVATE PROPERTY

 

 



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The lock-up at Hawkshead is incorporated into the Market Hall of 1790. It has one cell built behind the rear wall of the lower hall. The building was also used as a court room.

HAWKSHEAD

 

Photo's by Paul Gregson with expressed permission

I am grateful to Paul Gregson for the following information and for allowing me to copy his Flickr photographs.

"The Market Hall, was built in 1790, to serve the weekly markets as a "Shambles", or covered market place, for butchers etc. The ground floor arches were originally open to the square and the elements ! The first floor consisted of the Assembly Room, (in the centre,) and on either end two dwellings, the rents from which were to pay for the buildings up keep. The building was used as the local court house, and has within it's walls the original cell or lock-up.

In 1887, for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, the western cottage was removed to allow the Assembly Room to be extended. In 2011-2012 the building is once again being restored, as part of the present Queens jubilee celebrations".

   There is a single cell which is built at the rear of the building

 

 

 

 

 

The lock-up is shown on this plan at lower rear of the building



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The lock-up at Keswick is situated at the rear of the Moot Hall in the Market Place, CA12 5JR. It is a Grade 11* listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. It was originally built in 1571, rebuilt in 1695, whilst the present building dates to 1813. This was probably the time when the lock-up was constructed as well as a court  room. It is now the town TIC.

 

 

 

 

KESWICK

OS Grid Reference: NY2663223436
OS Grid Coordinates: 326632, 523436
Latitude/Longitude: 54.6008, -3.1372

Photo by Graham Hogg.

© Copyright Graham Hogg and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence 

 

I am grateful to Graham for the use of his Geograph photograph.

 

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The lock-up at Workington is a more conventional lock-up. It is situated in Ritson Street, CA14 4BP and has a datestone of 1825. An inscription over the door reads:

BUILT BY SUBSCRIPTION IN 1825.

ANNUAL GROUND RENT TWO SHILLINGS

FOR EVER.

 

 

 

WORKINGTON

OS Grid Reference: NY0049528486
OS Grid Coordinates: 300495, 528486
Latitude/Longitude: 54.6416, -3.5433

Photo's by Jeff Wilson

 It was Grade 11 listed 13.12.1985 (No.72295) and described as :

 Lock-up, now storeroom. Dated and inscribed over entrance BUILT BY SUBSCRIPTION IN 1805 ANNUAL GROUND RENT TWO SHILLINGS FOR EVE .... (remainder weathered away). Snecked calciferous ashlar with barrel-vaulted roof of same material. Single storey, 2 bays. Plain boarded door in plain opening and similar blocked doorway to right. Left return wall has plank door in brick surround; both return walls have slit vents. Workington is known to have had a lock-up, but no records state where it was, although this can be the only explanation of this unusual building

Source: English Heritage

Listed building text is © Crown Copyright. Reproduced under licence.

 

 

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On 6th June 2008, Allerdale Borough Council issued a news release :

" Allerdale Borough Council has unveiled the latest piece of artwork in Workington to be installed under the town’s regeneration scheme.
Local artist Richard Wood has created a pair of stainless steel cell doors for an old lock-up or round house building on Ritson Street, behind the Jailhouse pub.
The grade two listed premises was originally built to be the town’s first custody cells in 1825. It housed two cells which were used to lock people up who had been arrested overnight, ready for their appearance in the magistrates’ court in the morning.
To commemorate its history, Richard has also painted a life-size image of a prisoner onto a sheet of aluminium, which peers out from a mesh screen at passers-by.
Richard said he had already received some good responses from people who have seen the art installation and know of the site’s past use. He said: “The reaction has been very good. The cell doors reflect the history of the building and the figurative artwork inside the cell complements them. It explains the use of the building rather than just using signs.”
The project took 18 months to complete and includes designs on the cell doors featuring documents covering original land deeds from the old Curwen estate, which Richard researched ".

 

Pat Martin from Workington & District Civic Trust has researched this lock-up :

“ The Old Lock-up or Round House in Ritson Street was, as the inscription above the door tells, built by subscription in 1825. Its annual ground rent is two shillings for ever. In it prisoners were confined whilst awaiting their trial.
An indenture dated 25th September 1825 referred to the lease of land in RitsonStreet, ‘on lease for a year between the town council and Mr Alan McGaa for five shillings of lawful money of Great Britain. All that piece parcel of ground situated in Upper Gate in Workington in part built upon the south end of the street there called Washington Street on the east side thereof and opposite the new church adjoining a cross street on the south. Sizes and measurements to the inch, 80’ 8” x 33’ 10”.Deed: A building to be used from the time of erecting for the sole use and purpose of lock up house for the yearly rent of 2/- (1/- at Whitsuntide and 1/- at Martinmas each year. …. for ever in trust for the inhabitants of Workington’.
The lock-up was in use until 1850 when it was sold.
They were very casual and easy-going in those early days. A tale is told that on one occasion when the constable had locked his prisoner up for the night with everything, as he thought, in order, the constable was surprised on visiting the prisoner in the morning to find him worse for liquor. The solution to this mystery was simple for it was discovered that one of the prisoners ‘cronies’ during the night has put the stem of a long clay tobacco pipe through the key-hole and pouring comfort in to the bowl, the captive sucked away to his heart’s content.
In an old diary kept by someone in Workington early in the 19th century, under the date May 28th 1827 occurred the item 'the stocks were taken to the Round House, after many consultations as to where to put them, they were made portable and brought out when required'.
In 1901 Workington boasted 87 pubs and 5 beer houses. In the previous century there were even more, keeping the constable busy wheeling drunks to the lock-up in a handcart.”

 

I am very grateful to members of Workington & District Civic Trust, Jeff Wilson for sending me the photographs and Pat Martin for sharing her research with me.

Pat has confirmed the date of the lock-up as 1825 and tells me that it is now in PRIVATE OWNERSHIP and the key may be available at the nearby Washington Hotel.

 

PLEASE RESPECT PRIVATE PROPERTY

 

 

 

 

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