Nation England
County Essex
Location Stortford Road (opposite Foakes Hall) Great Dunmow
Map location exact or closely approximate
Year opened 1843
Year closed 2008
Century of Operation 1800-1899, 1900-1999
Building Type Police Station
Remarks First purpose-built police station in Essex. On its opening in 1843, the lock-up located in North Street (https://www.prisonhistory.org/lockup/great-dunmow-lock-up/) became redundant. The police moved to new premises in 2008. Now repurposed as the Uttlesford Community Hub and occupied by charitable organisations. Artefacts from the cells were moved to the Essex Police Museum, and the reconstructed police cell in the museum was modelled on the cells at the Great Dunmow station.
'The POLICE STATION is a neat and substantial building, erected in 1842, by the County Magistrates, at the cost of £1200; and has a court room, in which Petty Sessions, are held for Dunmow Hundred, on the first Monday of every month.'
White's Directory of Essex, 1848 (https://historyhouse.co.uk/placeG/essexg16aa.html)
Description: Exterior of the former Great Dunmow Police Station, now the Uttlesford Commnunity Hub, c.2014
Photo by: Photo © Robin Webster (cc-by-sa/2.0)
Description: Original cell door from Great Dunmow Police Station, now at Essex Police Museum. Label by the door reads: 'A Victorian Cell. This cell door is from the original Great Dunmow Police Station and was used from 1842 until the 1960s.'
Description: Back of cell door from Great Dunmow Police Station, now at Essex Police Museum
Description: Close-up of lock on the cell door from Great Dunmow Police Station, now at Essex Police Museum
Description: View into recreated cell at Essex Police Museum, modelled on cells at Great Dunmow Police Station
Description: Toilet, in recreated cell at Essex Police Museum, modelled on cells at Great Dunmow Police Station
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