HM Prison Wandsworth

HM Prison Wandsworth stands in the London Borough of Wandsworth, South West London. It is a Category B men’s prison run by His Majesty’s Prison Service. Built in 1851 as the Surrey House of Correction, it followed the separate system with corridors radiating from a central control point. Each cell originally had toilet facilities, removed later to increase capacity. Prisoners had to ‘slop out’ until 1996. The prison now holds between 1,300 and 1,500 inmates. The site witnessed 135 executions between 1878 and 1961. Catherine Webster was hanged in 1879 for murder and dismemberment. Ronnie Biggs escaped in 1965 after being jailed for the Great Train Robbery. Notable inmates include Derek Bentley, Charles Bronson, and Boris Becker. The gallows were dismantled in 1994 and the condemned suite became a tea room. Parts of the gallows are now displayed in Nottingham. Visitors find a large, imposing prison complex with wings arranged around central control. The former execution site lies near the A and E wings. A tea room occupies the old condemned suite. The prison remains the most overcrowded in England. Recent escapes and scandals have drawn public attention. Despite its grim reputation, it remains an active Category B facility.