Monument record 0035001000 - ADJACENT TO COUNTY HALL

In 1737 an Act of Parliament allowed the JPs for Bucks to raise money for the completion of a new gaol & court-rooms in Aylesbury (B1).
The gaol, tread-mill etc were adjacent to County Hall; it remained on this site until the new County Gaol was opened in 1844 (B4).
(For new Gaol see CASS 00452).
Description of prison, treadmill and accounts of management of prisoners (B9).
Buildings report dated Oct 1995 - Aug 1996 held at NMR (B11).

In the early 18th century a house on the Market Place, Aylesbury, was rented from William Benson for £20 p.a. and used as a county gaol. In 1720, the justices meeting at the Easter Quarter Session took the decision to build a new gaol, the existing premises being inadequate. The County purchased Benson's house for £600 and plans submitted by Thomas Harris and a Mr. Brandon were considered. Harris' scheme was chosen and work began on the county gaol in 1722. Due to financial problems work on the gaol ceased in 1724 with nearly £2000 owed in unpaid bills. Following a petition to Parliament building work began again in 1737. The county gaol and court house were completed in 1740, the total cost being about £9000. John Howard [prison reformer] visited Aylesbury County Gaol four times between 1773 and 1776. He recorded one courtyard, a debtors' hall, rooms for the master's side debtors and separate dayrooms for male and female felons. John Barker, the county surveyor, made plans in 1817 which show that the prison was a rambling series of buildings ranged around four courts and three gardens. A corn mill and treadwheel were erected in 1817-18. G. Cole's survey of 1825 indicates that a number of alterations and additions to the prison had been made since Barker's survey, including an increase in the number of categories of prisoners; new uses given to most of the buildings; the addition of a new debtor's prison, a juvenile prison and a chapel. In 1841 the Buckinghamshire justices considered enlarging or rebuilding the prison in light of recent legislation. In 1843 it was decided to build on a new site. It was also decided that the court house should be retained along with sufficient accommodation for prisoners awaiting trial and enough land on which to erect judges' lodgings. Between 1848 and 1849 the old prison was demolished and new lodgings built (B9,B11).
This record includes National Record of the Historic Environment Information provided by Historic England on 4 June 2025 licensed under the Open Government Licence (B12).