Hotel or flat plan for former Dorchester prison unveiled

The prison was built in 1885 and designed by prominent prison architect William Blackburn

Plans to convert a former prison in Dorchester into a hotel or flats have been revealed at a public meeting.

The predominantly Victorian structure was closed in 2013 and was bought by heritage developer City & Country in February.

The plans stem from a first public consultation held in April.

The hilltop building with a Grade II listed gateway was the site of the last woman to be publically hanged in Dorset in 1856.

Jailed for bee theft

The prison archives show some of the Victorian prisoners incarcerated at Dorchester

The site is 1.95 hectares (4.8 acres) and includes the cell blocks, a gym and sports hall, a kitchen, an education centre and an open exercise yard.

Archive records of Victorian prisoners at Dorchester show they were sentenced to hard labour for crimes including the theft of bees and of "six cheeses".

Elizabeth Martha Brown was the last woman to be publically hanged outside the prison after she was convicted of killing her second husband.

The conversion plan is to retain the main building and gatehouse but to replace what City & Country calls "the unsympathetic modern additions" that "hold no architectural or historic value".

Rough sketches were presented of the outline of hotel rooms (above) and apartments

Basic designs for hotel rooms and apartment rooms have been presented to the public to garner their thoughts.

Richard Winsborough, head of planning at City & Country, said: "Hotel use is just one option for the site having evaluated the feedback from the first consultation.

"The Malmaison in Oxford is a good example of a successful prison-to-hotel conversion."

The Malmaison in Oxford is housed in a former prison

Other ideas that had been put forward by the public included affordable housing, a museum, a community centre and an art gallery with shops and restaurants.

Mr Winsborough said: "We shall be holding a third round of public consultation in approximately four to six weeks' time, at which stage we shall be closer to the final designs."