Bird's-eye view of Pentonville Prison

Book illustration of a bird's-eye view of Pentonville Prison (from a drawing in the Report of the Surveyor-General of Prisons), from page 116 of 'The criminal prisons of London and scenes of prison life' by Henry Mayhew and John Binny. The authors record that the prison covered an area of 6.75 acres. Enclosed by a curtain wall and a large entrance gateway, from the main building there rose an Italian clock-tower. "From the central corridor within radiate four wings, constructed after the fashion of spokes to a half-wheel, and one long entrance hall, leading to the central point. The interior of each of the four wings or 'corridors' is fitted with 130 cells, arranged in three 'galleries' or storeys, one above the other, and each floor contains some forty-odd apartments for separate confinement."