Smisby lock-up

Smisby lock-up is an octagonal building made of red brick with sandstone details in a small English village. The pyramidal roof ends with a decorative ball finial at the top, and a heavy studded door secured the interior where prisoners were held temporarily.

The building was constructed in 1790 following an order from Derbyshire Court to hold local troublemakers and intoxicated people temporarily. It became part of the system through which rural areas built their own small-scale infrastructure for maintaining order.

The lock-up reflects how rural communities once handled local justice matters independently, keeping troublesome individuals in temporary custody before authorities moved them elsewhere. It shows what daily life looked like when villages had to manage their own public order.

The building stands freely accessible in the village and is visible from the outside at any time; visitors can view and photograph it easily. The original condition with all details has been preserved, allowing you to observe the craftsmanship and materials used.

The lock-up is one of only about 200 surviving examples of this type in England and the most intact one remaining in Derbyshire. Its scarcity makes it a valuable record of an almost vanished building type.