Westwood Works 1903-2003

HMP Peterborough

As indicated in Demolition, work on building the new prison began as soon as the demolition of the buildings at the north end of the site began. The Prison occupies the northern-most end of the site and the outer security wall finishes approximately where the Pattern Shop used to be. The area between this and Westfield Road, stretching from the railway up to and including an area behind the Apprentice School, is currently being prepared as a landscaped local amenity area. This will include a skate board park, all-weather 5-a-side football pitch, footpaths, wild flower meadows and other features. It is expected that work will be completed by the end of 2004. The first occupants are expected in the Prison in early 2005.

Building the Prison

Here are shown some photographs of the construction work taking place to build HMP Peterborough:


April 2003: Construction work keeps pace with the Factory demolition	August 2003: Erecting the Cell Blocks	August 2003: Work has reached the Black Shed	September 2003	October 2003	November 2003	November 2003

January 2004	April 2004: Start of landscape work fronting Westfield Road		December 2004 : Work on the landscaped area progresses. NOTE: The two green towers are not part of the landscaping but belong to a new mosque in the Gladstone Street/Cromwell Road area.

	Looking more like a large modern hotel than a Prison - HMP Peterborough from Westfield Road.
	This shows how relatively little of the original site is taken up by the prison buildings. The size of the open space fronting onto Westfield Road is very apparent. This is currently being made into a public park. The only two ex-Baker Perkins buildings remaining are the Holding Company Offices and the Apprentice School - both now privately owned.

The History Boards

Three "History Boards", describing the history of the site, will be a permanent feature of the public park. Copies will also be sited within the Prison.

Ex-employees visit HMP Peterborough

On 21st February 2005, nearly 200 ex-Baker Perkins employees were invited to tour the new Prison. Here are some photographs from that day:

The Prison's Fifth Anniversary

In July 2010, HMP Peterborough marked the Fifth Anniversary of its opening with a special edition of its in-house magazine - "The Insider" - which included an article on the history of the site and the efforts of the Baker Perkins Historical Society to record this for posterity.