# HMP Wellingborough (Permission Visit)



## BikinGlynn (Nov 4, 2018)

Its near enough all gone now Im afraid, but got lucky with this one.
I noticed on fb back in Feb that a guy I knew was working in here & a message was immediately sent without even knowing what he actually did. 
A reply of "I'll see what I can do" was taken with a pinch of salt, then out of the blue a month ago a message came in "hey I can get u in this weekend *IF* you are still interested". Do bears shit in the woods?

My man in question is a superbly nice chap who was thrilled to personally spend 3 hours or so showing myself & one other around. A text I received on the way saying "great security is expecting you" is not one us explorers receive very often & set the tone for the visit.
Turns out hes pretty much running the site for Keir & only had a few demo guys in that day so had nothing better to do. 
My only regret is that we were a few months too late as some of the main blocks had already gone & everything was pretty stripped but was still great to see

Before I go into the history the rebuild is as interesting, they are building a 1500 capacity super prison (it was about 650 originally) & are expecting around 1500 workers on site for the rebuild.
They have allocated around 3million.... for the site compound alone!

I struggled to find much "real" history from the place but did stumble upon a book "behind the fence" written by a 20yr serving guard who worked here & another prison (who I have been talking to on fb incidentally) which is brilliant. ( I have never felt physically sick reading a book before lol)
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Behind-t...h=item4d4dda8164:g:fTEAAOSwKFBZqpBD:rk:2:pf:0

I have my own story from here which I will share in brief.
I did some steelwork in here some 20yr back & remember being let in to the visitors area we were working in through a hole the contractor had exposed in the wall to the block.
At the end of the shift they boarded the hole & we had to exit through the doors. It then came to light that we had not signed in through the correct procedures..it took us 3 hrs before we finally convinced them we were actually working there & got let out!

Anyway this bit nicked from wiki Im afraid
Opened as a Borstal in 1963, Wellingborough continued to hold Young Offenders until 1990, when it was re-rolled as Category C Training Prison for male adults
In December 2003, an inspection report stated that Wellingborough was not meeting the criteria for its role as a training prison. Inspectors found that only half the prisoners were working or in education
However, inspectors also highlighted Wellingborough's good overall safety record, as 80% of inmates reported that they felt safe and 75% reported that staff treated them with respect.
In July 2004, A missionary from Wellingborough Prison was imprisoned for trying to smuggle heroin and cannabis into the jail. The missionary had been a Prison Service-authorised Sikh leader
On 17 July 2012, UK Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke announced that HMP Wellingborough would be closed by the end of the year, claiming it would save the tax payer £10m a year.[3] The prison formally closed on 21 December 2012

On with the pics, of which there is quite a lot.


IMG_6916 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_7030 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_6849 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_6870 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_6869 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_6876 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr


Dread to think what went on in here!


IMG_7016 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr


This Gym was later turned into a library.


IMG_6886 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_6885 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_6925 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_6890 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr


These were the segregation or strip cells. They were all pretty grim 6ft x 8ft


IMG_6929 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_6915 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_6953 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr


This was the outside of seg cell, they were triple doored & had these steps onto roof where a clear skylight & peep holes allowed full view into cell.


IMG_6932 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr


Cells originally had no electric, this was added later by means of these retrofitted supplies.


IMG_6910 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_6908 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_6896 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_7013 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_6936 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_6921 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr


Clever use of matchsticks in one cell.


IMG_7009 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr


Next we went up to the chapel, not much left, even the wind organ was scrapped!


IMG_6944 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_6947 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_6950 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr


Next was main vehicle entrance & visitors block


IMG_6979 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_6968 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr

I loved the stairwell window in here.


IMG_6986 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_6990 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr


Staff key safes


IMG_6978 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_6975 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr


Visiting area


IMG_6958 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr


Then we went over to the greenhouse & sheds, allegedly one of the greenhouses here were used in the film scum!


IMG_7022 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_7019 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_7028 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_7035 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr


Didn't get many outside as it was peeing down


IMG_7003 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_7047 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr


& finally we were privileged to have a butchers through some original 1960s surviving plans


IMG_7051 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_7057 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr

Thanks for looking & theres even more on my flickr


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## RedX_unleashed (Nov 4, 2018)

Super shots, thanks for these


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## HughieD (Nov 4, 2018)

You got lucky there mate and grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Superb report.


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## prettyvacant71 (Nov 4, 2018)

Some great pics there BG! You def got lucky with that explore This sort of thing never happens to me lol. I had a failed recce a few months back, set off some bells and whistles so limped off into the darkness


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## BikinGlynn (Nov 4, 2018)

HughieD said:


> You got lucky there mate and grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Superb report.



Thanks Hughie it was difficult to know where to stop with the pics lol


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## BikinGlynn (Nov 4, 2018)

prettyvacant71 said:


> Some great pics there BG! You def got lucky with that explore This sort of thing never happens to me lol. I had a failed recce a few months back, set off some bells and whistles so limped off into the darkness



Thanks PV There is one local guy got in but so far as I can tell only took one crap pic in the dark, next night some lads I know tried but got caught, 6 cop cars turned up... they must of thought it was still a live one lol
Incidentally I done a facebook post which has gone nuts! its been shared over 60 times as all the old wardens have got hold of it & some of the cons too, got some great feedback!


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## Electric (Nov 4, 2018)

Brilliant, thanks Glynn.
Nice to see a building I hope to never see for the wrong reason.


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## Ferox (Nov 22, 2018)

Brilliant that mate. Some great shots. Well documented.


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## Wrench (Nov 23, 2018)

That sir is fecking excellent
Really nice pics of an place u seen by most. 
Well done for being a cheeky git and asking. 
Thanks for posting.


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## Sabtr (Nov 23, 2018)

A place I hopefully never land in..
I reckon some of the best photos would come from people working in demolition - Brown and Mason for example. I'm in the wrong job!

Very special images those. Chuffed to bits that you took the chance given and went for it. I put feelers out all the time and it's incredibly rare that I actually get into places that way.


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## BikinGlynn (Nov 27, 2018)

Tbolt said:


> That sir is fecking excellent
> Really nice pics of an place u seen by most.
> Well done for being a cheeky git and asking.
> Thanks for posting.



Thanks Tbolt I never realised a permission visit could be such fun lol


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## BikinGlynn (Nov 27, 2018)

Sausage said:


> A place I hopefully never land in..
> I reckon some of the best photos would come from people working in demolition - Brown and Mason for example. I'm in the wrong job!
> 
> Very special images those. Chuffed to bits that you took the chance given and went for it. I put feelers out all the time and it's incredibly rare that I actually get into places that way.



Yeah I couldn't help but think demo is the trade to be in lol
I do get to see a few places myself when quoting for steelwork in refurbs but nothing that exciting has come up yet!


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