Newcastle prison book
New book tells hidden history of Newcastle prison
Published on: 28 October 2025
A new book co-written by a researcher at Newcastle University brings to life the forgotten history of Newcastle’s once-notorious prison.
Written on the 100th anniversary of the closure of Newcastle Prison, the book explores the hidden stories and rare images from the lives of those incarcerated, and the staff who lived and worked within its walls.
Newcastle Prison: A History, 1828-1925 has been published by Tyne Bridge Publishing, and is the result of a collaboration between Dr Shane McCorristine of the School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Newcastle University, and crime historians Dr Helen Rutherford, Dr Clare Sandford-Couch, and Dr Patrick Low.
The authors will be speaking at a free event at Newcastle City library on 22nd November, at 2.00pm, as part of the Books on Tyne 2025 festival.
Once celebrated as a cutting-edge facility designed by acclaimed architect John Dobson, Newcastle prison opened its doors in 1828 to much fanfare. However, it quickly became infamous for its overcrowded and unsanitary conditions. By the time it closed its doors in 1925, it was deemed a dismal failure, and today, no trace of the once-prominent structure remains.
Dr McCorristine, Reader in Cultural History, said: “The story of the prison and those who were imprisoned there in many ways reflects the changing story of Newcastle. The area between Manors and Pilgrim Street, where the prison was located at Carliol Square, was once the main route between the city and the quayside, but soon after the prison was demolished in 1925, the whole area began to be transformed. There are no signs of the prison's existence today so writing the book was a way of remembering and recording a bygone piece of the city’s history.”
During its more than 90 years of operation, the prison housed thousands of men, women, and children, enduring a harsh environment marked by severe punishment. The book contains stories of the individuals who navigated life behind bars, including some of the heart-breaking descriptions of life in the women’s wing. It also discusses the mystery of the missing executed bodies, and a number of audacious escape attempts.
Featuring remarkable stories, alongside specially commissioned and never-before-seen 3D modelled images of the prison, the book draws on detailed archival research and the latest digital techniques to offer a unique and revealing insight into the prison's architectural and social development, vividly bringing the past to life.
As part of the project, the researchers also invited the public to share memories or information about the prison.
Dr McCorristine added: “We had a great response to our request for the public’s help, with people sending us a range of stories about the prison and those who worked there or were detained there – including some rare letters written by some of the prisoners themselves, which give a great insight to their thoughts and feelings about being in prison.”
Newcastle Prison: A History, 1828-1925 is published by Tyne Bridge Publishing and available to buy from Newcastle City Library and all good bookstores, as well as online from the Newcastle Libraries page on the Newcastle City Council website.
The research which made the project possible came about through funding provided by the Catherine Cookson Foundation and Newcastle University.
Press release adapted with thanks to Tyne Bridge Publishing.
