Coldbath Fields Prison
Bird's-eye view of Coldbath Fields. | |
Interactive map of Coldbath Fields Prison "The Steel" | |
| Location | Clerkenwell, London |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°31′31″N 0°06′46″W / 51.52528°N 0.11278°W |
| Status | Closed |
| Capacity | 2,000 |
| Population | 1,700 (as of 1877) |
| Opened | 1794 |
| Closed | 1885 |
| Former name | Middlesex House of Correction |
| Managed by | Middlesex Guildhall |
| Notable prisoners | |
| Edward Marcus Despard, William Thomas Stead, Owen Suffolk | |
Coldbath Fields Prison, also formerly known as the Middlesex House of Correction and Clerkenwell Gaol and informally known as the Steel, was a prison in the Mount Pleasant area of Clerkenwell, London. Founded in the reign of James I (1603–1625) it was completely rebuilt in 1794 and extended in 1850. It housed prisoners on short sentences of up to two years. Blocks emerged to segregate felons, misdemeanants and vagrants. The prison closed in 1885.