Verne Prison, Portland, Dorset

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The Verne Prison

Portland, Dorset

All the pictures on this page showing a thick border are thumbnails. Clicking on the picture will produce a larger version. Use your browser BACK button to return to this page.

The above image is copyright Dorset County Council 2000 and is reproduced here with permission.

The area is centred on the Verne Prison.

Originally built for the army, it is now a prison.

For many old pictures of the Verne as an army garrison and later as a prison, please click here and here.

Official information on the Verne Prison can be found here.

Please click here for a detailed street map. Click the BACK button on your browser to return to this page.

Please click here to visit the satellite image of this area on Google Maps. Click the BACK button on your browser to return to this page.

This aerial view is blown up from the above photograph and clearly shows the many modern buildings and facilities inside the ramparts of the older army citadel. Around the southern boundary of the prison is a huge moat which is clearly seen above by the black shadow cast in it.

The red spots mark out the route of the Merchant's Railway which operated for over 150 years moving stone from Tophill down to Castletown where it was shipped all over the world.


*The view that criminals don't want to see!*	*A bit of history from an official notice board.*


*The deep moat surrounding the Verne Prison has a vast network of tunnels and gates left over from the days of the army garrison. One such door is seen above.*	*This inclined path to the east of the Verne was used to transport stone from the Tophill quarries to the building works on the breakwater.*

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