General Information
During the year 2000 D J Clark built a visual record of the Lancaster &
Morecambe district using photographs and information submitted by those that
feature in the pictures. The project was conducted in association with Lancaster
Museum and has been archived for future generations to look back at the district
at the turn of the new Millennium. For more information on the project visit
the information page. If you find a caption is
wrong or there is a fault with the page please e-mail D
J Clark.
Date:
October 6th 2000
Location: Lancaster Castle
Photographer's Diary
Lancaster Prison
I had so wanted to get into the prison to take photographs but this looked to be the hardest of all subjects. A Romanian photographer had just beat me to the idea and had wangled permission to get limited access. I was told I hadn't a hope in hell. Then by a miracle the probation service called me and asked me to take on a commission, photographing probation activity in a number of prisons throughout Lancashire. Lancaster was on the list, and I took the job.
The day did not go as I had hoped. I was flanked by a security guard everywhere I went and the remit was just to photograph a small group of prisoners in a simple plain room listening to a talk. The prison was an amazing jungle of corridors and gates. It looked secure, very secure but claustrophobic as well. I could not imagine having to live there. I had a short opportunity for a picture of the deputy governor, a probation officer and a guard in casual conversation. I must try and get back in.
October 6th
Several letters and one meeting later, I found myself in the
Prison with a security officer on my shoulder. It was nothing like I had imagined.
I had been inside the prison for work with the probation service earlier in
the year but this was different. I was in charge, and my security officer could
not have been more easy going. He took me around and was happy to ask prisoners
for permission to be photographed. They signed a disclaimer and I got on with
it. They were all great people to work with and I found it hard to imagine they
would not be going home at night.
I saw the prison in action and occasional got a glimpse at something of the
history. "Come look over here" Ian Sanderson (my guard) beckoned."This
piece of wood is over 1,000 years old" or "this is an engraving by
an inmate held here in the 1800's" or "this was the cell where the
Quaker leader was held". I found it all fascinating but felt robbed that
I had lived in the City for so many years but never had the chance to see this
before. Turning into a courtyard I felt the temperature drop, as Ian explained.
"This is where they used to hang them, we tried to dig up this flags once
but found it was packed with human bones". It was a terrible place to meet
your end. A cold damp walled courtyard. I am sure those that made the trip to
Williamson Park at least appreciated a view across the Bay.
At the end of the tour, Ian took me up to a window from a now reduced officer's
mess. I was not supposed to get this picture but I did, and it was a key photograph
of the inside of the Prison. "You can buy aerial pictures of the castle
as postcards, so I don't see what is wrong with a shot from here". We went
downstairs, through a number of security passes and across the road to Folly
to develop the films. All the other films I had done at Bolton, but the Prison
were keen to make sure I developed the films in front of them so they could
check there was no risk to security. Keys was the main issue I believe.
I had been the day before to set up and test a colour process. It was tested
as perfect and I had no problems in going at all three films in one go. As the
films went into the warm up drum I turned on the lights so Ian could see what
was going on, and then disaster. The lid of the drum just popped off, as if
the ghosts of those that lay beneath the flag stones wanted their memory wiped
from the history books. I grabbed it and thought I might have saved something.
With sweat dripping from my nervous brow we continued until the final pictures
showed, a green image. I knew there was something there, and Ian volunteered
another tour, but I decided to wait. The final images had lost all the red from
the negative, leaving a cold ghostly selection of pictures from what I was starting
to believe was a haunted venture I was not authorised to disturb.
More Information
There have been fortifications on the site of Lancaster Castle since Roman times,
however the shape of the current fort started in the 1100's. King John is said
to have held Court at Lancaster Castle. The main gateway, named after John O'
Gaunt, is thought to date from 1405 - slightly after his time. The statue in
the niche above the gateway is by Claude Nimmo and is relatively modern, dating
from 1826. There have been many famous trials and executions at the Castle.
There were more death sentences handed down at Lancaster Castle than any other
Court in England, except Old Newgate in London. Three thousand people were deported
to Australia from Lancaster. The Castle has had many purposes but has always
served as a prison. Up until 1617 it was the only prison in Lancashire and is
now said to be the oldest serving prison in Europe.