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The western part of the prison included an Infirmary and a separate Petty Officer’s Prison. In the central market place prisoners could trade with outside traders. Internal walls divided the prison into a number of sections. As described in Risdon’s Survey of Devon (1811), and illustrated by two views by Samuel Prout (18), by a drawing in Ackermann’s Repository of 1810, and by a survey drawing of the prison of 1847, Dartmoor Prison originally consisted of five blocks laid out in a radial arrangement around a central market place, in total covering c12ha and surrounded by a double, circular perimeter wall. The first inmates were received in May 1809, and by June that year the prison housed 5000 prisoners of war. The London architect Daniel Asher Alexander (1768-1846), was employed to design Dartmoor Prison. During the Napoleonic Wars of 1803-15 there were 47 prisoner of war hulks moored at Chatham, Portsmouth and Plymouth, and pressure on Plymouth was increased when prisoner of war prisons at Norman Cross, Northamptonshire and Stapleton near Bristol became full. * Group value: the buildings form part of an important and relatively complete group of listed prison buildings, together reflecting the historic development of H M Prison Dartmoor and its distinctive radial plan form as first envisaged in 1806-9.ĭartmoor Prison was built by the Admiralty in 1806-9 on land leased from the Duchy of Cornwall, to receive prisoners of war. *ĝegree of survival: the exteriors of the blocks remain little changed, with features intact and original window openings
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*Ěrchitectural interest: B Wing, built between 18 by the distinguished prison architect Sir Edmund du Cane, has a strong architectural presence, the use of rock-faced granite and heavy quoining contributing to the fortress-like appearance, together with the battered plenum towers and corbelled cornice the design of A Wing effectively reflects that of the earlier wing * Historic interest: an integral part of the historic Dartmoor Prison complex, originating in 1806-9, A wing, built in 1906-7, replaces and is on the site of one of the prison’s original cell blocks, whilst B wing, built in line with that original cell block, forms part of the later-C19 development of the prison A and B Wings, H M Prison Dartmoor, being two attached cell blocks, one built between 18 to designs by Sir Edmund du Cane (B Wing), and the other in 1906-7 (A Wing), are listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons: