LEICESTERSHIRE. Lock-ups at Breedon on the Hill, Packington & Worthington

These three lock-ups in North West Leicestershire are of similar design to the those at Smisby and Ticknall, with their conical roofs.

The lock-up at Breedon on the Hill is situated alongside the old animal pound at 19 Main Street, DE73 8AN and dates to the 18th century.

 

BREEDON ON THE HILL

 

OS Grid Reference: SK4066822904
OS Grid Coordinates: 440668, 322904
Latitude/Longitude: 52.8022, -1.3982

 

Photo by Roy Pledger

 

 

It was Grade 11 listed 29..12.1952 (No.358070) and described as :

 

 Lock-up with small attached pound. Probably C18. Rubble stone. Lock-up is

circular, with conical stone roof and wrought iron weathervane with later cock

finial. Old board and stud door with pierced metal grille and long strap

hinges. No windows. Pound, to left, is irregularly shaped and has walls about

2 m high, with dressed stone coping. Incorporated in wall to street is a frag-

ment of moulded C12 masonry with dogtooth ornament. C20 wooden gate .

Listing NGR: SK4066822904 

 

Source: English Heritage

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo by Mark on Geograph with thanks

 



© Copyright Mark and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence


 

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

 

 

 

The lock-up at Packington is similar but brick built and dates to the 18th century.

It is situated in Ashby Road, LE65 1TD.

 

 

 

 

PACKINGTON

OS Grid Reference: SK3617414852
OS Grid Coordinates: 436174, 314852
Latitude/Longitude: 52.7301, -1.4657
 

Photo's by Roy Pledger

 

 

A plaque on the door reads :

' The Countess of Loudoun

Donate This Building

To The Village of Packington

By Deed of Gift In 1997'

 

 

It was Grade 11 listed 24.11.1965 (No.187946) and described as :

 

 Lock-up of C18. Small red brick 1 storey building of octagonal plan with
pyramidal octagonal brick roof. Stone and stone ball finial. Stone
string course between walls and roof. Rounded arch doorway in front
angle contains C20 door .
Listing NGR: SK3617414852

Source: English Heritage

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

 

 

 

 

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

 

 

 

Similar again is the brick built lock-up or Round House, at Worthington, which is situated at the junction of Church Lane and St Mathew's Avenue, LE65 1 SH. It dates to the late 18th century.

It is an Ancient Scheduled Monument.

 

 

 

WORTHINGTON

OS Grid Reference: SK4081720633
OS Grid Coordinates: 440817, 320633
Latitude/Longitude: 52.7817, -1.3963
 

Photo's by Roy Pledger

 

It was Grade 11 listed 24.11.1965 (No.187857) and described as :



 Lock up. Probably late C18. Brick throughout. One low octagonal storey

with a single plain doorway, & tall octagonal pyramidal brick roof on a stone
oversailing course, & capped by stone crown
Listing NGR: SK4081720633

Source: English Heritage

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

 

 

There is a discriptive plaque on the door :

 

 

 

.

A leaflet,

Produced and printed by North West Leicestershire District Council In conjunction with

Worthington Parish Council is available at the local shop,  See :

 

www.nwleics.gov.uk/files/documents/worthington_round_house/Worthington_R…

 

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



DERBYSHIRE. Lock-ups at Sandiacre, Smisby, Ticknall and Swarkestone

Very often village lock-ups were situated in or close to the village animal pound.

This is the case at Sandiacre where the pound and the lock-up are intact. 

The complex is situated at 44 Church Street, NG19 5DZ.

It dates to 1660 and was rebuilt in the late 18th century.

It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.




SANDIACRE

OS Grid Reference: SK4794237077
OS Grid Coordinates: 447942, 337077
Latitude/Longitude: 52.9290, -1.2882


Photo's by Garth Newton

© Copyright Garth Newton and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence


It was Grade 11 listed 10.11.1967 (No.822922) and described as :

Village lock-up and pound. 1660, rebuilt in late C18. Sandstone
ashlar with sandstone dressings and pyramidal plain tile roof,
plus eaves band. Small square lock-up building about 12 feet
high with plank door to west face and two small windows to south
face, one above the other. Attached to south side is a tall
ashlar wall with rounded copings which curves round to east
forming a pound. Over the door is a plaque inscribed 'Erected
as a village lock-up and pound for the imprisonment of stray
animals about the year '1660 AD'. This is also an Ancient
Monument .
Listing NGR: SK4794237077

Source: English Heritage

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

 

 

I am grateful to Garth Newton for the use of his Geograph photographs

 

 

 

 

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

 

 

 

The  lock-up at Smisby is typical of a handful in this area of South Derbyshire and North Leicestershire with a distinctive style of high tapering roof. Known as The Jug, it is situated at 3 Main Street, LE65 2TN and it dates to the late 18th century.

 

 

 

 

SMISBY

OS Grid Reference: SK3486919083
OS Grid Coordinates: 434869, 319083
Latitude/Longitude: 52.7682, -1.4846
 

Photo by Roy Pledger

 

 

It was Grade 11* listed 19.1.1967 (No.82879) and described as :

 

 



Lock up. Late C18. Red brick with sandstone dressings. Small
polygonal building with a four-centred arched doorway on the
north side with studded plank door. Tall tapering octagonal
upper part, of brick with stone bands at the base and the top.
Surmounted by a ball finial .
Listing NGR: SK3486919083
 

Source: English Heritage

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

 

Smisby village website - www.smisby.org.uk  relates :

' Also known as a jug, or roundhouse, lock-ups are relics of the past. The early 18th century village lock-up was used to lock up drunks and minor lawbreakers until they had cooled off, or while waiting escourt to Derby Court. It was also used to house paupers and vagrants on a temporary basis. The Smisby lockup is octagonal in shape, brick built with tiled spire roof and and has a heavy studded door. Other examples can be found at Ticknall, Breedon and at Alton and are of similar design - circular, without a window, a conical roof and a heavy door (there are around 200 surviving roundhouses in the country. Most date from the 17th and 18th century).

The village once had three pubs of which the Smisby Arms (formerly The Nelson) and the Annwell Inn (formerly Mother Hubbards, and The Malt Shovel before that) continue with a lively trade. However, in leaner times The Three Tuns just down the Main Street had insufficient trade and became a private dwelling. Perhaps with a population once around 300 and three pubs, this was sufficient to fill the lock-up frequently '.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

 

 

 

The lock-up at Ticknall is almost a fairy tale building and even has a fireplace.  Situated at 11 Main Street, DE73 1JZ, it dates to the late 18th century.

 

It is said that in the 19th century, Eliza Soar was the landlady of the Staff of Life pub in the village and apparently her door key also fitted that of the lock-up. When the village constable had gone to bed, Eliza could be persuaded to release any incumbent of the lock-up.

 

 

 



 

 

TICKNALL

OS Grid Reference: SK3515323908
OS Grid Coordinates: 435153, 323908
Latitude/Longitude: 52.8116, -1.4799
 

Photo by Roy Pledger

 

 

It was Grade 11* listed 19.1.1967 (No.82826) and described as :

 Lock-up. Late C18. Red brick with sandstone dressings. Small

octagonal structure with a doorway to south with stone lintel
and jambs. Studded plank door. Chamfered stringcourse at the
base of the octagonal brick spire. The interior has a
fireplace
.Listing NGR: SK3515323908

Source: English Heritage
Listed building text is © Crown Copyright. Reproduced under licence.

 

 'The lockup was built in 1809 for the overnight accommodation of people arrested in the village before being carted off to Derby. However it became obsolete in 1850.

There are over 200 similar constructions in Britain and nearby ones are visible at Smisby and Breedon on the Hill. All are of a similar design, round without a window, with a conical roof and a heavy door. Ticknall's was constructed with stone, bricks and lime mortar.

The inventory shows; carriage of lime 2s.6d, to John Asher going twice to Melbourne for stones 10s and to Mr G Hutchinson for Lime 18s.9d.

The entries for 10 and 21 October 1809 also records who undertook the work and how long it took. One was Mr G Orton for work at the round house £1 and John Illsley received a total of 14s for 7d for other building work. The village blacksmith, Henry Minion did the iron work and Mr Dickens did the carpentry. The total costs were £25.19.11.

The building became obsolete in 1850 and was used as a Home Guard arms store during the Second World War and since then for storing road sweeping tools. It is now a Grade 11 Listed building '.

 www.thestaffoflife.co.uk/villagehistory.php

 

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo




I understand that there was a lock-up at Swarkestone near to the pub. Now just a pile of stones waiting to be rebuilt?





ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



DERBYSHIRE. Lock-ups at Alfreton, Cromford and Curbar.

 Moving over into Derbyshire I have located just six remaining lock-ups, although the one at Curbar leaves some doubt and may or may not have been a lock-up as we shall see.

The lock-up at Alfreton, known as The House of Confinement, is situated in

King Street, DE55 7AG on the A61 through the village.

According to web site Derbyshire UK, it dates to 1820.



 

ALFRETON

 

Photo by Roy Pledger

 

 

 

It was Grade 11 listed 13.7.1966 (No.79063) and described as :

 

' Parish lock-up. Mid C18. Ashlar with shallow pitched roof of large stone slabs
plus stone slab ridge stack. Single storey and 2 bays. Gabled street elevation
has central semicircular headed doorcase with wide raised surround, raised keystone
and studded wooden door. Above is a raised plaque inscribed 'House of Confinement'.
To either side there are circular openings with raised plain surrounds. Interior
has central corridor with cells to either side. Unusually large example of village
lock-up '.

Source: English Heritage

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

 

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

The lock-up at Crich was under the old Parish Rooms and eventually became toilets.

 

www.crichparish.co.uk  tells us :

 

'There was of course a village prison (noted in the 1839 Parish Survey), where more serious sinners were held. This was a small dark sparse room under the "old" Parish Rooms, which was eventually used as a toilet before improvement of the buildings occurred'.

The website also gives a good account of Law and Order in Crich and in the country in  general with an article by Dr J.G.Dawes, who also relates:

'The Village Pound, where stray animals were restrained under the control of the Constable was also itemised in the 1839 rating Survey. It was opposite and to the south of the Church, where there is, today, a house called 'Penfold' - the local name of the pound. In it there is a strongly built room with no windows which, it is believed, was used as a lock-up by village constables'

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

 

 

The lock-up at Cromford is situated off Cromford Hill at the rear of

21 Swift's Hollow, DE4 3RF and dates to 1790.

It is now PRIVATE PROPERTY.

 

 

 



CROMFORD

 

Photo by Roy Pledger

It was Grade 11 listed 23.3.1988 (No.429968) and described as :

 

 

' Lock-Up with keeper's accommodation above, now a garage and store. 1790.
Coursed rubble with ashlar dressings. Slate roof with 2 brick stacks.
2 storey. 5 bay front. Right-hand doorway with plank door, reached up
2 steps with large square lintel. To the left a 2 light flush mullion
window, and beyond another similar door and beyond again another 2 light
flush mullion window. To the left an inserted pair of garage doors.
Above to the right a 2 light window which has lost its flush mullion,
and to the left 2 half glazed loft doors. The north-west gable front
has an upper 3 light flush mullion window with its original wooden glazing
bars. The interior on the ground floor contains 2 lock-up cells with
iron doors '.

 Source: English Heritage
Listed building text is © Crown Copyright. Reproduced under licence.

 

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo


The supposed lock-up at Curbar, known locally as The Roundhouse, is situated in a PRIVATE GARDEN near the village and can be seen from a nearby public footpath.
It has been converted into a cottage or garden house and it dates to 1780.

 

 



 

CURBAR

 

Photo by David Dunford

with expressed permission.

 

 © Copyright David Dunford and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

 

 

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

 

 

In ' Tales from The Round House' Julie Bunting tells us that :
' the building dates from around 1780 and its history has been handed down by word of mouth. The fact that it has often been referred to as Curbar lock-up may indicate that there is some truth behind the story that it was used long ago as a temporary jail, perhaps an overnight stop, for law breakers being conveyed to a more secure prison. Indeed the windows were once barred and Curbar does lie roughly half-way along a very old route connecting Tideswell and Chesterfield, each of which formerly had a proper jailhouse. However, according to other information handed down the generations, the short term inmates were usually lead miners being conveyed to Derby Assizes because their offences could not be dealt with at  Barmote Courts.'

www.wishful-thinking.org.uk/index.html


It has also been suggested that the building was a 'pest house', but there is a school of thought which says that it was in fact a 'bath house' for the nearby Cliff College which is given credence by the fact that there is a substantial stone water cistern nearby.
What is certain is that it was eventually converted into a PRIVATE DWELLING, albeit just one up and one down, for which the chimney may have been added.

PLEASE RESPECT PRIVATE PROPERTY

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 



 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 



CHESHIRE. Lock-ups at Lyme Handley and Stockport..

Two further lock-ups in Cheshire fall into the 'small town' category.

The first one at Lyme Handley,  known as The Cage, is situated on Cage Hill in Lyme Park, SK12 2NU and was loriginally a hunting lodge cum gatehouse. At some stage it became the park keeper's residence and lock-up. The entrance to the lock-up is at the base of the tower.

 

 



 

LYME HANDLEY

 OS Grid Reference: SJ9663683070
OS Grid Coordinates: 396636, 383070
Latitude/Longitude: 53.3445, -2.0520

 

Photo's by woodtyke
with expressed permission

 

I am grateful to woodtyke for allowing me to copy his Flickr photographs.

 

 

The building was Grade 11* listed 14..4.1967 (No.407227) and described as :

 Formerly hunting tower cum gatehouse, later park keeper's house and

prisoners' lock-up: Origins c.1580, taken down 1734 by George Platt,

rebuilt 1737 by Peter Platt, perhaps to a design by Leoni for Peter

Legh X. Coursed, squared, buff sandstone rubble with ashlar sandstone

dressings, felted roof and cupolas (originally stone) and formerly 2

chimneys. In plan, square with attached square corner towers.

3-storeys symmetrical fronts. Chamfered plinth, raised rusticated

quoins, applied ashlar band at first floor. Windows in towers in

raised, plain surrounds (now blocked but with 12-pane sashes

originally). Semi-circular headed doorcases on 3 faces, with

rusticated surrounds and Tuscan pilaster capitals to imposts with

raised plain, window surrounds above (all blocked). Projecting

heavily-moulded entablature with ashlar blocking course with central

balustrading (probably added by Wyatt, now damaged). On towers,

stepped bases to domed cupolas (now C20 wooden replacements) 3 square

sundials on moulded sills between 1st and 2nd storeys, read: east

face, "Vive Hodie"; south face, "Remember now the creator in the days

of thy youth"; west face, "Cras minus aptus eris".

Interior: 4 Tuscan antae with banded rustication in ground floor.

Diagonal flight leads to spiral, stone staircase in south-west corner

tower. Remainder of interior now removed but first floor was the main

room with a panelled oak ceiling with huge, central, carved rosette.

The stairs were in one corner, a fireplace, a lavatory, and a prison

room in the others.

Listing NGR: SJ9663683070 

 

Source: English Heritage

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

  

 

 

 

 

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

 

 

 

The lock-up at Stockport is situated in the Market Place under the Court Leet.

It has been restored by Stockport Historical Society.

 

 

 

STOCKPORT

 

Photo by Jeff Carr
with expressed permision

 

 

 A listed building. It is a late 18th or early 19th century house incorporating a 19th century shop front and reusing timbers of medieval or 17th century origin. The building is approached by a flight of stone steps. A low frontage wall with a cast-iron lamp standard is the parapet of 1a Mealhouse Brow, which is on a lower level owing to the slope of the land. Three storeys to the Market Place, of brick in Flemish bond, with a bracketed eaves cornice and restored sash windows. The windows have repaired stone lintels and original stone sills. A facsimile rainwater head has the date 1743, the original perhaps salvaged from another building or from an earlier building on the site. The shop front is bowed and has terracotta foliated brackets supporting a cornice on each side. The rear wall of the building incorporates timbers with mortices and peg holes.

1a Mealhouse Brow consists of a single-storey range towards the Market Place and the adjacent basement and lower basement of No. 8 Market Place. The upper rooms of this part were used for meetings of the town's manorial court leet, and incorporates two small chambers possibly used as lock-ups, The lower basement incorporates two separate chambers used for confinement until 1790 when a new prison was built. 
(Information gleaned from Stockport web site).

 

 

Photo by Gerald England

 

 © Copyright Gerald England and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

 

 

I am grateful to Jeff Carr (Flickr) and Gerald England (Geograph) for the use of their photographs.

 

 

 

 

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo





CHESHIRE. Lock-ups at Farndon, Farnworth and Kelsall.

The former lock-up at Farndon is now PRIVATELY OWNED.

It appears that it was originally converted into a domestic garage but is now an extention to a private dwelling. It is situated at 65 High Street, CH3 6PT and dates to 1837 (Datestone).

FARNDON

OS Grid Reference: SJ4142654524
OS Grid Coordinates: 341426, 354524
Latitude/Longitude: 53.0847, -2.8759


Photo by Mike Royden
with expressed permission



I am grateful to Mike Royden www.roydenhistory.co.uk for allowing me to copy his photograph.

 

 

 

The lock-up was Grade 11 listed 28.11.1984 (No.403436) and described as :

 

 Former Lockup, now lockup garage, 1837, of Flemish bond brickwork with

pale headers; pyramidal roof of graded grey slate. Projecting garage

doors replace the former doorway. 2 semicircular barred, stone-cased

openings above a plain stone band, 2 metres above floor-level.

Between the openings is inscribed LOCKUP 1837 .

Listing NGR: SJ4142654524

 

Source: English Heritage

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

 

PLEASE RESPECT PRIVATE PROPERTY

 

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

 

 

The lock-up at Farnworth, known as The Bridewell, is situated in Marsh Hall Road, WA8 9HU, adjacent to St Luke's Church. It has 14th century origins but was rebuilt in 1827.

It was Grade 11 listed 30.5.1963 (No.56056) and described as:

Former Bridewell now used for storage, 1827 - over door, Red sandstone
with slate roof. Plain rectangular lock up
in south east corner ofthe Churchyard.
Listing NGR: SJ5174287749

 

Source: English Heritage

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

 

 

The building has undergone several restorations and round about 1866 it was taken over by St Luke's Church for use as a hearse house. It became derelict in the 1980's but it has been fully renovated in keeping with its historic nature and is now used as a church hall.

 

 

 

 

FARNWORTH

OS Grid Reference: SJ5174287749
OS Grid Coordinates: 351742, 387749
Latitude/Longitude: 53.3844, -2.7270
 

Photo by Peter Vardy.
 

© Copyright Peter Vardy and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

 I am grateful to Peter Vardy for the use of his Wikipedia Commons photograph.



www.haltonboroughcollections.org.uk tells us:

' The Bridewell in Farnworth is one of oldest surviving buildings in Cheshire, having been founded c. 1100 AD. It was originally known as the Bridewell and formed part of the Halmote court of the Barony of Widnes, established in 1086. The building functioned as a place of detention or 'lock-up', probably holding local drunks and people who were being brought before the court. The Bridewell continued to be used as such until 1866 when a new court house was built in Victoria Road, Widnes. It was taken over by St Luke's Church in Farnworth but had become derelict by the 1980s. The building has since been Grade 2 listed and has been largely reconstructed.

'

.

 This photograph is from a collection of glass plate lantern slides found in Kingsway Library in Widnes. The provenance of this collection is not known, although many of the photographs show scenes in and around Widnes in the early 20th century '

The All About Widnes web site tells us :

Originally the Bridewell was situated in the most southern part of Lancashire, until the boundary changes in 1974. Since then it has become part of northern Cheshire and must rank as one of the oldest surviving buildings in both counties. It was founded in 1100 A.D. and evidence of it’s early structure can be seen on the large stone Tudor archway over the rear door, on the outside. It has been assumed that shortly after the Barony of Widnes was established in 1086

The first Baron Yarfrid founded the Bridewell as it was part of his Halmote Court. the name Halmote derives from the Saxon meaning hail of the manor, which was a Lord’s court. Baron Yarfrid left no male descendants, and at his death the Barony was divided between his two daughters, the elder whom had married William, son of Nigel, the second Baron of Halton. Since that union all court procedures were continued to be carried out by the Barons of Halton from the castle. The fifteenth and last Baron of Halton and Widnes, was Henry Bolingbroke who succeeded to the English crown as Henry 4th in 1399. With his accession to the throne the title Baron of Halton and Widnes was merged with the crown and no longer used. After 1399 the Brideweil became the property of the English crown as part of the Duchy of Lancaster and it was customary that the Lord of the Manor or his steward would preside at the Halmote Court on behalf of the crown. The jurisdiction of the Widnes Manorial Court, held in Farnworth from it’s inception covered approximately six square miles which was the extent of the old baronial territory of Widnes.

The barony, in addition to Widnes,Appleton, Farnworth and Cronton comprised such outlying places as Tarbock, Huyton, Knowsley, Roby, Rainhill, Eccieston and Sutton. From the court rolls the Victorian history of Lancashire it has been possible to locate some of the early pleading and sittings of the Halmote at the Farnworth Court. In 1181-2, Agnes Bonetable was brought before the court for owing three marks for her Knight’s fee in Appleton (this was the tithe from the land). It has been accepted that part of the early court sittings were held in the church which was founded in 1180, but alter the English reformation in 1534 it was considered sacrilege to use religious buildings for secular purposes. After that date the court sittings were held in the village. It has not been possible to locate where in the village the courts were held after leaving the church, but from some Halmote rolls it has been possible to locate the last court sittings in the village. From the latter part of the 18th century until the middle of the 19th century.

An inn called the George and Dragon, situated at the eastern top of Farnworth Street, which site is now occupied by three terraced houses nos. 96, 98 and 98a. In 1847 John Hutchinson the industrial chemist from St Helens founded the chemical industry in Widnes. It soon developed into a thriving chemical town bringing about new housing and a rapid increase in population, particularly immigrants from eastern Europe and especially Ireland, who caused riots and general public disorder. This situation prompted a new police court and station to be built that was completed in 1866. The building of a new court in Victoria Road opposite the present library brought about a decline of Famworth as a village of importance and the George and Dragon continued as a public house until 1904 when it was converted into dwelling apartments and demolished in 1967.

After 1866, when Farnworth court ceased to exist, the Bridewell was taken over by St Luke’s church and used as a hearse house for a short period, and became derelict in the late 1 1980s. Although the building was originally 12th century, it has undergone several restorations. The main large cell was used by drunks and petty offenders it is mainly 16th century architecture and has been converted into a toilet and kitchen. The smaller cell with it’s unusual hand made brick barrel vaulted ceiling was used for dangerous criminals who would be held until they were sent for trial and supervised under the constable or jailer who occupied the hail. In the early centuries the offenders would be tried at the Castle of Halton by the Baron. In medieval times sometimes the criminals would be sent before the Bishop of Chester, if the offence was a recusancy crime. Also the doomsmen or judge would be sent for and be dealt with at the Farnworth court but both Lancaster assizes to Chester were used. The Bridewell is one of the listed buildings in Widnes. In 1983 the historical officer of Cheshire Mr Laurey McKenna gave the building a classification of Grade 2, the restoration comrmttee carried out the present reconstruction which started in 1992, with as much of the building’s ancient character as was possible, re using much of the original stonework. The interior has been tastefully decorated and designed in keeping with it’s ancient style and age.

Historical notes by Alan Foster - local historian

 

 

 

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

 

The lock-up at Kelsall is situated on  the end of a barn at Weldon  House, Chester Road, CW6 0RW and dates to the early-mid 19th century.

 

 



 

 

 KELSALL

OS Grid Reference: SJ5196668005
OS Grid Coordinates: 351966, 368005
Latitude/Longitude: 53.2069, -2.7206
 

Photo by Dave Smith
with expressed permission
 

 © Copyright Dave Smith and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

I am grateful to Dave Smith for allowing me to copy his Geograph  photograph.

 

 

It was Grade 11 listed 1.3.1967 (No.55743) and described as :

 

Lock-up: probably early-mid C19. Rock-faced buff sandstone, massive
slabs forming flat roof. Stands cl.6m in height and is semi-circular
in plan. Flat side against the road has low entrance with sheet iron door .

Listing NGR: SJ5196668005

 

Source: English Heritage

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

 

 

 

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

 

 



MERSEYSIDE. Lock-ups at Everton and Wavertree.

Everybody has heard of Everton, now a suburb of Liverpool. Indeed, Everton F.C features the lock-up on its crest and the club actually financed its restoration in 1997.  The lock-up, known as Prince Rupert's Tower, is situated on Everton Brow, L6 1HL and dates to 1787.

 

EVERTON

OS Grid Reference: SJ3563291618
OS Grid Coordinates: 335632, 391618
Latitude/Longitude: 53.4174, -2.9699

Photo by Roy Pledger


Prince Rupert of the Rhine, a professional soldier, was the Royalist Commander during the English Civil War and used the topographical advantage of 'higher town', or Everton, to prepare to overwhelm the nearby garrison at Liverpool.

Originally surrounded by a pound, the lock-up was also colloquially known as the Stone Jug and also as Stewbum's Palace.

 

It fell into disrepair and in 1997 Everton Football Club funded its renovation as a continuing symbol of the club's crest of which it has been part since 1937.

 

 

The lock-up was Grade 11 listed 14.3.1975 (No.359525) and described as :

1787. Red sandstone building in form of a round drum with conical roof.
Now in public garden .

Listing NGR: SJ3563291618

 

Source: English Heritage

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

 

 

 

An early print by Liverpool artist Herdman courtesy of Everton web site.



See also :  www.dequinceyineverton.blogspot.com/2011/01/everton-lock-up-or-prince-rupert




ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo






The lock-up at Wavertree is situated in Childwell Road, L15 6UU and dates to 1796.

WAVERTREE

OS Grid Reference: SJ3929789444
OS Grid Coordinates: 339297, 389444
Latitude/Longitude: 53.3983, -2.9144

Photo by Roy Pledger

Originally the building had a flat roof but the fine pyramidal roof was installed in about 1869 when the building was restored following its near dereliction. The village is now swallowed up by the Merseyside conurbation but the lock-up still stands proudly in  splendid isolation on a small green alongside the busy main road.

 

It was Grade 11 listed 28.6.1952 (No.213897) and described as :

 

 Lock up. 1796.
Stone with pyramidal slate roof and weather-vane added by Sir James
Picton. Octagonal, of 2 storeys. Flat band over ground floor,
top cornice and 4 gables. Ground floor has round-headed
recesses with square blind windows. Entrances to south. 1st
floor has square blind windows, that above entrance has
upper part open, with diagonal iron bars . Listing NGR: SJ3929789444

Source: English Heritage
Listed building text is © Crown Copyright. Reproduced under licence.

These two photographs of the interior are by Caroline & Phil Bunford
on Flickr with thanks. With expressed permission.

 

I am grateful to Mike Chitty from Wavertree Society for allowing me to copy the following article and photograph, which appeared in their Newsletter 99 in 1994. (www.wavertreesociety,org).


" Wavertree's octagonal Lock-up was built of local yellow sandstone in 1796, at the expense of the villagers.  Drunkenness was quite a problem even 200 years ago, and it was the village Constable's job to round up offenders and accommodate them overnight until they were sober enough to be released or taken before the local magistrate.

The post of Constable was an unpaid one - the villagers took it in turns, a year at a time - but expenses could be claimed including 2 shillings for looking after a prisoner

in the Constable's own house.

In 1796 the villagers decided it would be cheaper for them, in the long run, to pay for a purpose-built lock-up!
Objections were raised by Mr John Myers, the wealthy resident of Lake House (where Monkswell Drive is today) who claimed the proposal 'showed a desire to annoy him' and would spoil his view. However, he was overruled and a Mr Hind was engaged to prepare plans and get the work in hand.

 

Originally the Lock-up had a flattish roof, and it was not unknown for friends of the prisoners to hide behind the parapet while knocking a hole in the roof! A small stove was installed to keep the prisoners warm, and they were supplied with food and water, but otherwise there were few home comforts.

It is said that cholera victims were dumped there to isolate them from the rest of the village; and in the 1840s the Lock-up served as temporary accommodation for destitute Irish families trekking out from Liverpool into the surrounding countryside.

By this time the Lock-up was no longer needed for its original purpose, as a proper Police Station had opened in the High Street (on the site of the present Wavertree Gardens flats). The building gradually fell into decay, until in 1868 its owners the Wavertree Local Board of Health contemplated demolition.

Fortunately for us, the Chairman of the Board was the architect and local historian James Picton, who came to the rescue and drew up plans for its repair and 'beautification', including the addition of a new pointed roof and weather vane. These plans were implemented the following year. In 1952 the Lock-up became a Listed Building and in 1979 Wavertree Village was designated as a Conservation Area The triangular village green on which the Lock-up stands has recently been confirmed as the only piece of Common Land within the City of Liverpool.

For many years the building was used by the City Council's parks and gardens department for the storage of tools and grass-cutting equipment, but it currently stands empty and disused ... except as a picturesque reminder of the Wavertree of two centuries ago ".

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo



LANCASHIRE. Lock-ups at Burnley, Churchtown, Garstang and Tottington.

The lock-up at Burnley is situated behind the Swan Inn in St James Street, BB11 1NQ

 and dates to 1819.

BURNLEY

OS Grid Reference: SD8413132524
OS Grid Coordinates: 384131, 432524
Latitude/Longitude: 53.7888, -2.2423

Photo by Mike Smith
with expressed permission

 

I am grateful to Mike Smith for allowing me to copy his Flickr photograph.

The inn is Grade 11 listed to include the lock-up. From 1816 to c1884 a fore runner of the Town Council, namely The Town Committee, met at the Swan and thought fit to provide
a handy lock-up in 1819

 Source: English Heritage

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

 

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo





This lock-up is situated at the entrance to the Botanic Gardens at Churchtown, now a suberb of Southport.  The original lock-up and pound was demolished in 1874, but a copy of the roundhouse, as it was called, was incorporated in the new scheme around the garden entrance
and then used as a tram and bus shelter.

CHURCHTOWN


Photo by Roy Pledger




ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo



The Garstang village web site, www.garstang.net , on its Heritage Trail page, relates :

' Market House. The Keppels built this in 1843. It was sold in 1919 to Garstang Parish Council to store a fire engine. Between the Market House and the Town Hall was the 'Small Dark Hole' - Garstang's Prison Cell now used as a small office'.


No photograph is yet available.




ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo



This lock-up at Tottington is known as The Dungeon. It is situated in Harwood Road, BL8 4AE abutting the Old Dungeon Inn and dates to 1835. There are interesting carvings at each side of the door.

TOTTINGTON

OS Grid Reference: SD7743013208
OS Grid Coordinates: 377430, 413208
Latitude/Longitude: 53.6149, -2.3426

Photo's by Roy Turner.
with expressed permission

I am grateful to Roy Turner for sending me these photographs.

It was Grade 11 listed 29.1.1985 (No.210651) and described as :

 Lock-up abutting No 2 - Old Dungeon Inn to South -   Dated '1835' in bold relief numerals extending over whole door lintel. Constructed in angle between rear wing and rear of inn. Crudely rusticated store, with dressed coping. Single-storey. Iron bolted door of 6 panels (with large mortice lock and lion head above stone knocker) is set in bevelled corner. A primitive human face is carved on stonework on right side of door and key on left side. Roof of large slabs of stone with central vent. Originally managed by publican, then by village constable .
Listing NGR: SD7743013208

Source: English Heritage

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

 

 





ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo