Read on Twitter1/7 It& #39;s a pretty imposing building, HMP Leicester, isn& #39;t it? Still often confused for Leicester Castle by people new to the city!
It was actually designed to look like a castle, with building work starting in 1825 before being opened in 1828.
Sunday History Timehttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🕰" title="Kamin-Uhr" aria-label="Emoji: Kamin-Uhr">1/7 It& #39;s a pretty imposing building, HMP Leicester, isn& #39;t it? Still often confused for Leicester Castle by people new to the city!It was actually designed to look like a castle, with building work starting in 1825 before being opened in 1828." title="https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🕰" title="Kamin-Uhr" aria-label="Emoji: Kamin-Uhr">Sunday History Timehttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🕰" title="Kamin-Uhr" aria-label="Emoji: Kamin-Uhr">1/7 It& #39;s a pretty imposing building, HMP Leicester, isn& #39;t it? Still often confused for Leicester Castle by people new to the city!It was actually designed to look like a castle, with building work starting in 1825 before being opened in 1828." class="img-responsive" style="max-width:100%;"/>
2/7 The walls of the prison were said to be the highest prison walls in the country, which might be why there& #39;s only ever been 1 escape.
In December 1953 Albert Hattersley managed to get through a skylight in the workshop.
In December 1953 Albert Hattersley managed to get through a skylight in the workshop.
3/7 He& #39;d broken a pipe from the workshop toilet to use with webbing to help scale the wall. Despite trying to drop from the wall near the Governer& #39;s garden, in the hope of landing on soft ground, he suffered a broken ankle. After hours on the run he was re-captured the next day.
4/7 Over the years there have been 23 executions which took place at the prison, with the last being in 1953. From a triple execution in 1829 for "horse stealing" to a double hanging in 1944 following a murder on Springfield Road in the city.
5/7 The only female to be executed at the prison was Sarah Smith in 1832, a 28 year old woman from Mountsorrel, who had killed a woman in her care by adding arsenic to her tea.
6/7 Famous inmates? Well Ricky Tomlinson was here for 18 months following his part in a workers strike in 70s, Reggie Kray spent 2 years here in 1972 between spells at Parkhurt, and Charles Bronson spent 10 days at here in between his period of isolation at nearby Gartree Prison.
7/7 Of course Mark Morrison had a stint here too. In fact he said that he wrote Return of the Mack from Welford Road Prison. I wonder if the McDonalds marketing team know that.
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="📸" title="Kamera mit Blitz" aria-label="Emoji: Kamera mit Blitz"> B&W photos - Leicester & Leics Records Office
B&W photos - Leicester & Leics Records Office" title="7/7 Of course Mark Morrison had a stint here too. In fact he said that he wrote Return of the Mack from Welford Road Prison. I wonder if the McDonalds marketing team know that. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="📸" title="Kamera mit Blitz" aria-label="Emoji: Kamera mit Blitz"> B&W photos - Leicester & Leics Records Office" class="img-responsive" style="max-width:100%;"/>
