Report (Permission Visit) HM Prison Dorchester, Dorset - February 2016

[Montstar]

Visited with Kinger. We'd kept our eye on this one for a long time, but since it's closure in 2013 there's been a full-time caretaker & on-site security in place.

This visit was a case of being in the right place at the right time, and with a contact in the local council we were given a free reign to roam the prison for two hours. It's a really small prison that only had capacity for around 250 inmates, and a lot of it was locked up and out of bounds to us for reasons of "Health & Safety" but we got to see the main features at least!

Development on the prison is taking place imminently subject to further plans being approved.

The place is a proper old-school prison. Victorian punishment at it's finest! The cells are absolutely tiny, damp & cold. Kind of nice to know that inmates didn't have an easy ride, but really difficult to understand how the developers will turn it in to sort-after accommodation!?

Erected during the 19th century, the prison buildings are a typical Victorian design.

In 2006, it was revealed that 25% of random drug tests on inmates had proven positive. Though cannabis was the most commonly detected drug, a substantial amount of inmates had tested positive for opiates such as heroin.

In 2007 the Prison Reform Trust said that prison staff were "battling against overwhelming odds in old and overcrowded premises", after an inspection report from Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons said there were too many inmates there, and too little investment in prison buildings and facilities. The report also criticised the lack of work opportunities for inmates. Conditions improved to an extent, and the prison was awarded ‘Most Improved Prison for 2008'.

On 4 September 2013, the Ministry of Justice announced that it intended to close Dorchester Prison, and the prison was formally closed in December 2013.

 

[Adders]

Come on, don't tease us like that. You had two hours yet only post up 8 photos, 4 of which are from the outside?! :

Get them up!

 

[Montstar]

Come on, don't tease us like that. You had two hours yet only post up 8 photos, 4 of which are from the outside?! :

Get them up!

Ha! It's a really small prison dude! I did actually miss out a couple though so I've added those. Hopefully Kinger will have a few more different shots!

 

[Urbexbandoned]

This is awesome! Love the older Victorian prisons, so much character about them. This one obviously made the cut in closures. Nice pics, I like the old cell & pic 5 is lovely! .

 

[Oxygen Thief]

Come on, don't tease us like that. You had two hours yet only post up 8 photos, 4 of which are from the outside?! :

Get them up!

yeah he's holding back on us...

 

[Kinger]

No pleasing some people!!

Like Adam has said, it's pretty much exactly as you expect inside. No surprises, but still nice to see.

 

[Jon6d]

Brilliant, its my goal to get in a abandoned prison

 

[Bertie Bollockbrains]

Nicely done.. it was going to appear in here sooner or later!

Just letting you know, that the King's Arm Hotel is standing unused in Dorchester - was once the finest hotel in Dorchester with a lot of history. When I looked through the windows a couple of weeks ago it was fully furnished inside.

 

[The Wombat]

this is really nice, thanks for sharing
Even if it is small, its gotta be bigger than an ROC post

 

[Montstar]

Just letting you know, that the King's Arm Hotel is standing unused in Dorchester - was once the finest hotel in Dorchester with a lot of history. When I looked through the windows a couple of weeks ago it was fully furnished inside.

Yeah, saw it was empty a while ago. It's been bought by a pub chain and refurbishment starts soon, so not sure how accessible it really is.

 

[Bad monkey face]

amazing, there's a prison I want to go for in Northamptonshire but pretty confident its going to be near enough impossible to do even if I could find a way.

 

[ClaireM]

This place is insane! Wow! Do you have any more photos down that way next week for a trip and I'd love to check it out

 

[Montstar]

This place is insane! Wow! Do you have any more photos down that way next week for a trip and I'd love to check it out

It was a permission visit ClaireM, but I've heard recently from someone that the development plans have gone to shit and that the developers have given up on the site, it's disappeared from their website in the last couple of weeks too which just fans the flames! Also heard that the security on site were employed by the developers (I thought it might have been council) so it's definitely one to keep your eye on!

 

[ClaireM]

Wow, definitely check out the place! Bet the permission visit was amazing?
I'm gonna go check the place out soon

 

[pooleindorset]

Nice to see the old place again, I had a short stay here in 2003 lol. loving the view of the open doors, Must see if I can get a visit.