HMP Wormwood Scrubs

HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs stands at the southern edge of Wormwood Scrubs, an ancient park in West London. The prison occupies land first recorded in 1189 as Wormhold Scrubs, meaning shrubland by a snake-forest. Its name later changed to Wormwood after the bitter herb once used to treat parasitic worms. The site began as a small iron prison in 1874, built by prisoners under warders’ supervision. Bricks were made on site and the permanent prison took shape over the next seventeen years. Sir Edmund Frederick Du Cane designed the first blocks, and a road still bears his name. The prison has played notable parts in British history. During the First World War it held conscientious objectors such as the Quaker journalist Hubert W. Peet, who later described conditions in his book. In April 1920 Irish Republican prisoners staged a hunger strike that drew large crowds outside. The Second World War saw MI5 move into one block while another housed the Chief Cable Censorship Department. Women of the Auxiliary Territorial Service operated anti-aircraft sites nearby. Visitors cannot enter the prison itself, but the surrounding area offers views of the Grade II listed cell blocks. The gatehouse holds a higher Grade II* rating and remains a landmark. The wider Wormwood Scrubs park continues to provide open ground beside the facility.