The prison is the Fylde Coast’s only jail and opened in 1962. The actual site started out life as an RAF base and continued until 1945 where it remained closed until the facility was taken over by the Home Office and susequently opened as a prison. There had been a public inquiry into the Prison Commissioner’s plans to turn the site into a prison, with residents concerned about escapes, and the temptations of having a seaside resort nearby. These pictures show the site throughout the years - from an empty building in 1960, to the more recent past and offer a glimpse inside the cells at varying stages throughout the past six decades as well as key moments in its history.
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2. Kirkham Prison
Inside one of the cells, at the opening of new Kirkham prison in 2004 Photo: Donna Clifford
4. Kirkham Prison
Director General of the Prison Service, Mr Richard Tilt and the Governor of Kirkham Open Prison, Mr Alf Jennings, foundd themselves behind bars in a reconstructed prison cell which was on display at the Royal Lancashire Show, Chorley Photo: David Hurst