
Ground plan of HM Prison Cold Bath Fields (WORK 30/5978)
The grey shading shows old buildings, the pink shows building which was new in 1884, increasing the capacity of the prison to 1,000 prisoners.
« Return to A Victorian prison1. Look at Source 1.
Coldbath Fields Prison was named after a well nearby. It was an old prison, re-built in 1794, holding men, women and children. In 1850 it was changed to take men only and extended again. It was known as a tough prison, used for local London criminals on short sentences.
- Find:
- the old prison
- the new prison
- the Treadwheel House
- the flour mill
- the bakery
- the kitchen
- the two laundries
- the oakum shed
- the Chief Warder’s house
- the Governor’s house
- the Governor’s greenhouse
- the coachhouse and stable
- the Fever Hospital
- the exercise yards
- the cocoa shed
- Imagine you have just been appointed as the new prison governor. Take a tour around your new prison, visiting all of the places on the list above. Add one sentence of your own comment, as governor, on each
- There is a logical purpose behind many aspects of the design of this prison. Explain the design or placing of: the Fever Hospital, the new prison, the Treadwheel house and flourmill, the Governor’s House
- Imagine you are a warder standing at the centre of the Rotunda of the new prison. How many cells can you see from your position?