19th Century Prison History : 19th Century Prison Search

Barmouth Roundhouse

Overview

Location   Quayside  Barmouth

County   Merionethshire

Year Opened   1834

Year Closed   1861

Century of Operation   1800-1899

Remarks   Restored.

ExteriorPhoto © John Lucas (cc-by-sa/2.0)

Further information can be found at
https://www.prisonhistory.org/lockup/barmouth-roundhouse/

Descriptions

  • 'History: Built on the instructions of the county's magistrates as a lock-up for drunks and petty offenders. The building contract was given to Thomas Rees, Jones James and Rees Owen of Dolgellau and is dated 12th November 1833; their fee was ú55. Exterior: Single storey; circular plan. Of rough dressed stone with aconical slate roof rising to a central cylindrical moulded stack. There are 2 rooms, each served by a plain flat-arched entrance with 2 barred slit-windows flanking and set high up. Interior: Within each room is a corner privy and presumably a fireplace (this latter feature is currently obscured: autumn 1994).'
    British Listed Buildings, 'Ty Crwn (The Lock-up), Barmouth', CADW 4898

  • 'This unusual building was constructed to lock-up the drunks and ne’er-do-wells that must have frequented a busy port like Barmouth. It was built in 1833, at the orders of the local magistrates, to a circular design so that the Devil would have no corners to hide in! The space was divided into two halves by a curtain wall to enable the holding of male and female drunks separately. There are newspaper accounts of people being locked up for merely being without a home for the night – for their own safety! The interior has been partly restored and includes two figures showing what life was like as a prisoner in the 1830's.'
    Barmouth Sailors' Institute website (http://www.barsailinst.org.uk/crwn.html)

Sources

  • Roy's Blog, 'WALES. Lock-ups at Bagillt, Barmouth, Caernarfon, Clynnog Fawr and Hawarden.' (08 July 2013)
    http://roys-roy.blogspot.com/2013/07/wales-lock-ups-at-bagillt-barmouth.html
  • British Listed Buildings, 'Ty Crwn (The Lock-up), Barmouth', CADW 4898
    https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/300004898-ty-crwn-the-lock-up-barmouth#.XQawTbxKiUk
  • Barmouth Sailors' Institute website
    http://www.barsailinst.org.uk/crwn.html