Lock-ups
A lock-up was a very small prison, used for the short-term accommodation of someone before they were transferred to larger premises, such as a county gaol, or brought before a local magistrate, or just to cool off, perhaps after causing a disturbance.
Lock-ups could be stand-alone buildings or incorporated into a larger building such as town hall or police station. The distinction between lock-ups and town gaols can become blurred, the former sometimes degenerating into the latter.
A mid-18th centry lock-up at Hawarden, Flintshire. © Peter Higginbotham
The old town hall at Skipton. West Yorkshire. © Peter Higginbotham
Bibliography
- Higginbotham, Peter The Prison Cookbook: A History of the English Prison and its Food (2010, The History Press)
- Brodie, A. Behind Bars - The Hidden Architecture of England's Prisons (2000, English Heritage)
- Brodie, A., Croom, J. & Davies, J.O. English Prisons: An Architectural History (2002, English Heritage)
- Harding, C., Hines, B., Ireland, R., Rawlings, P. Imprisonment in England and Wales (1985, Croom Helm)
- McConville, Sean A History of English Prison Administration: Volume I 1750-1877 (1981, Routledge & Kegan Paul)
- Morris, N. and Rothman, D.G. (eds.) The Oxfod History of the Prison (1997, OUP)
- Pugh R.B. Imprisonment in Medieval England (1968, CUP)
Links
- Prison Oracle - resources those involved in present-day UK prisons.
- GOV.UK - UK Government's information on sentencing, probation and support for families.
Except where indicated, this page () © Peter Higginbotham. Contents may not be reproduced without permission.
