Plan for 200 homes on site of former Dorchester prison unveiled

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

Dorchester's former prison could be transformed into 200 homes under new plans unveiled to the public.

Heritage developer City & Country bought the mostly Victorian building in February after it closed in 2013.

It has held three consultations to decide what to do with the complex which was the site of the last woman to be publically hanged in Dorset in 1856.

Building a hotel was one suggested option, but it was decided there was not enough demand in the area.

The developer has proposed to allow space in North Square for shops, cafes and three bedroom apartments

Under the plans, which were revealed at a public exhibition earlier, the prison wings will be converted into one and two-bed apartments, with new building work that "responds to scale of historic buildings".

Archive records of Victorian prisoners at Dorchester show they were sentenced to hard labour for crimes including the theft of bees and "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 prison archives show some of the Victorian prisoners incarcerated at Dorchester