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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
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 FlickrIMG_7030 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrIMG_6849 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrIMG_6870 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrIMG_6869 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrIMG_6876 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrDread to think what went on in here!
IMG_7016 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrThis Gym was later turned into a library.
IMG_6886 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrIMG_6885 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrIMG_6925 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrIMG_6890 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrThese were the segregation or strip cells. They were all pretty grim 6ft x 8ft
IMG_6929 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrIMG_6915 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrIMG_6953 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrThis 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 FlickrCells originally had no electric, this was added later by means of these retrofitted supplies.
IMG_6910 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrIMG_6908 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrIMG_6896 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrIMG_7013 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrIMG_6936 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrIMG_6921 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrClever use of matchsticks in one cell.
IMG_7009 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrNext we went up to the chapel, not much left, even the wind organ was scrapped!
IMG_6944 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrIMG_6947 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrIMG_6950 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrNext was main vehicle entrance & visitors block
IMG_6979 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrIMG_6968 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrI loved the stairwell window in here.
IMG_6986 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrIMG_6990 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrStaff key safes
IMG_6978 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrIMG_6975 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrVisiting area
IMG_6958 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrThen 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 FlickrIMG_7019 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrIMG_7028 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrIMG_7035 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrDidn't get many outside as it was peeing down
IMG_7003 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrIMG_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 FlickrIMG_7057 by Bikin Glynn, on FlickrThanks for looking & theres even more on my flickr
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