HM Prison Crumlin Road, Victorian prison in North Belfast, Northern Ireland.
HM Prison Crumlin Road is a Victorian prison in North Belfast built from black basalt stone and arranged across ten acres with separate cells for individual inmates. An underground tunnel connects the facility directly to the courthouse, creating a passage between the two buildings.
Built in 1846 by architect Sir Charles Lanyon, the prison operated for over a century as a detention facility for the Belfast area. During the Northern Ireland conflict, it became a focal point where the tensions of the era were contained behind its walls.
The building holds deep meaning for people in Belfast as a place where the divisions of the recent conflict became physical reality. Walking through it today helps visitors understand how the city's communities experienced decades of separation and tension.
The large grounds are best explored on foot, as different areas are spread across the site and take time to walk between them. Plan for a half or full day depending on how thoroughly you want to explore the buildings and learn about what happened there.
The building preserves an original execution chamber from 1901 where private executions took place, marking the end of public hangings in this facility. This space reveals a turning point in how punishment was carried out and kept from public view.
Location: Belfast
Inception: 1846
Official opening: 1846
Accessibility: Wheelchair limited access
Address: County Gaol, Crumlin Road, Belfast, Co Antrim
Opening Hours: 10:00-16:30
Phone: +442890741500
Email: info@crumlinroadgaol.com
Website: https://crumlinroadgaol.com
GPS coordinates: 54.60900,-5.94200
Latest update: December 6, 2025 16:01
This collection brings together penal institutions that have marked the history of incarceration worldwide through their architecture, detention conditions, or roles in major historical events. From the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba, established in 2002 for holding individuals suspected of terrorism, to high-security facilities like Red Onion in Wise County, Virginia, these sites document the evolution of penal systems across continents. Among the institutions transformed into memorial sites, Diyarbakır Prison in Turkey stands out for its conversion into a cultural center and museum since 2019. Its 24 dormitories spread over two floors, its cells, and corridors allow visitors to explore this chapter of Turkish penal history. In Argentina, Mendoza Prison, built in the early 20th century, reflects the prison practices of that era and the development of the regional judicial system. Other facilities remain operational and raise questions about prisoners' rights and incarceration conditions. Gldani Prison in Tbilisi caused national protests in 2012 after images exposing systemic abuses were released, leading to major reforms in the Georgian penal system. Ciudad Barrios Prison in El Salvador continues to function as a correctional center in the eastern region of the country. These sites, spread across multiple continents, provide documented insights into penal practices in various political and social contexts. From Rwanda to North Korea, passing through Colombia and the United States, they help understand the evolution of judicial and correctional systems while raising current issues related to detention and rehabilitation.
Northern Ireland tells its story through stones, cliffs, and memories. From the Giant's Causeway to Derry's walls, each place seems filled with stories where Celtic myths, medieval heritage, and traces of the modern world intertwine. Belfast, once an industrial hub turned cultural center, showcases its museums and markets to the breeze coming from the Irish Sea. The landscapes of County Antrim enchant with basalt columns, suspension bridges, and cliffs battered by waves. Further inland, stone circles, monasteries, and distilleries extend the journey into a territory where each site links nature and memory. Exploring Northern Ireland is like walking through centuries that are open to the sky, between the legends of Ulster's ancient kings and the contemporary echoes of a resilient land.
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