4.4.1 The west wing of the penitentiary is north-west to south-east aligned though for ease of
reference this report refers to the orientation of the long axis as north to south.
4.4.2 Of five bays, the building is brick built, of two storeys with a gable roof of slate in
diminishing courses. The west elevation has windows like those in the north wing with a
doorway in Bay 1 with a plain stone lintel but no door jambs. The majority of the original cast
iron 20 light casement windows have been blocked up or replaced. The lower ground floor
window of Bay 5, a later insertion, has a brick segmental arch with a concrete cill and a 6 light
timber casement window. The unevenly fired bricks of the elevation measure 9¼ - 9½ inches
x 4½ inches x 2½ inches and are laid two stretchers to one header. At the southern end of Bay 5 however, where the building kinks to the south-east, there is a clear building join where
the bricks are of a superior quality, measuring 9½ - 9¼ inches x 4½ inches x 2½ - 2⅞ inches
and are generally laid in stretcher bond, with the occasional header, becoming Flemish bond
near to the gable, indicating that the building has been extended to the south or that the
southern end has been rebuilt.
4.2.3 The west wall of the former refectory, later becoming a fitter’s shop by 1921, abuts the
south gable of the west wing. It is constructed of bricks measuring 9½ inches x 4½ inches x
2⅞ inches laid two stretchers to one header. A doorway is present that retains its timber
frame and a two-light window.
4.4.4 The south gable has two large ground floor arched openings with two square windows
above on the first floor. The windows have plain lintels and cills like those on the west
elevation. Timber casement windows partially survive though holes for iron bars are present
in the lintels suggesting that when the building was extended the site was still operating as a
house of correction or prison. The bricks measure 9½ inches x 4½ inches x 2⅞ and are laid in
Flemish bond.
4.4.5 The east elevation is built of bricks measuring, and laid the same as, those of the south
gable. The windows have stone cills as elsewhere but have segmental arches of brick. The
frames, of six lights, appear to be original and are of timber. The first floor loading door, which
appears to be an original opening, retains its timber door frame. The three large ground floor
doors were inserted when the site became a haulage yard and reuse softwood ceiling beams
for their lintels. As no building join with the east wall of the house to the north is present, and
as they both use identical bricks, it is likely that these two buildings are contemporary. The
line of a former lean-to roof is clearly visible at the southern end of the elevation with
whitewash still adhering to the brickwork.
4.4.6 Internally the ground floor is currently divided into two by a later wall, the bricks
suggesting that it is contemporary with the south gable, though originally the ground floor was
divided into five rooms. The north room has a modern concrete floor and boarded ceiling. A
single champhered ceiling beam is supported by a central Sampson post. In the north-west
corner is a four panelled door which is likely to be a later replacement though the window
shutter in the wall between the two rooms may relate to when the building was a prison. The
south room has a north to south aligned drain in the concrete floor in the south-east part of
the building. The ceiling above has been partially boarded, the exposed timbers comprising
machine sawn softwood that all appear contemporary suggesting that the ceiling was inserted
at the time that the building was extended to the south or at a later date. Of importance is the
fact that the north wall (the south wall of the house), is later than the west wall which it abuts.
This later wall, based on brick sizes and bonds used, is contemporary with the east wall and
south gable of the west wing and the east wall and north-east wall of the house, which it
forms an integral part.
4.4.7 Above on the first floor there are four trusses creating five bays. The north part of Bay 1
was inaccessible. The trusses are of queen post construction with a strainer beam between
the posts. Two struts extend from the shoulders of the queen posts to the principal rafters.
The queen posts are bolted to the tie beam below. Empty mortices, two on each principal
rafter, are for former purlins. The current purlins are trenched. A post extends from the apex
of the principal rafters supporting the plank ridge. The common rafters are embedded in the
wall. Baltic timber cargo marks are present on the tie beam of Truss 4. Of note differences in
the paint work on the west wall indicates the location of former prison cells as on the second
floor of the north wing. If there were cells either side of a central passage the west wing would
have held 10 cells. No original fixtures and fittings were found in situ associated with lace
production with the exception of three timber planks extending down the west wall which had
large numbers of nails protruding from their faces which would have originally held the cotton
bobbins that fed machinery.
4.4.8 It is therefore clear that the west wing has undergone considerable change from its
construction in 1818. The west wall certainly remains from this period. The building was
subsequently extended to the south with the north and east wall rebuilt at this time. The ground floor, originally of five small rooms was reconfigured so that it was of two large rooms.
The ten cells of the first floor may have been rearranged at this time but bars in the south
gable window indicate that it was still a prison when the alterations were made. Though the
roof has been altered, as indicated by the empty mortices in the principal rafters for no longer
extant purlins, it is likely that not only are the actual trusses original but that they are in their
original position; the roof has simply been raised slightly by trenching new purlins to the
principal rafters and altering the common rafters accordingly. The date when the building was
remodelled is unknown but cartographic evidence suggests that it happened between 1841
and 1884. As the prison of 1818 was largely superseded by the new block in 1867 it would
have to be argued that a likely date for the work was between 1841 and 1867. Though
labelled as a workshop on the 1921 plan the upper floor was certainly used at some point to
manufacture textiles. (1)

The foundations of the outer foundation wall and internal wall were recorded, both of which associated with the 19th century house of correction, and similarly associated area of brick surface and threshold was exposed (2)

A brick surface was exposed and interpreted as original brick flooring surface, representing multiple phases of development originating with the 1867 house of corrections. The original bricks were sitting on and covered by hardended black clinker. The clinker overlays the wall foundation cuts. The later surface was likely laid down over the original surface to provide repairs or simply as a fresh new surface, and possibly associated with a later phase of expansion that could have included the repair work to a damaged surface. This later surface was laid at a slight angle to the original surface. (2)

A boiler room was recorded during the watching brief phase of works, which took place in September, 2016. The boiler room dated, at its earliest, to the 1867 house of correction, with possible reuse and conversion into the furnaces used in the lace factory. The boiler room included the brick chimney and coal chute, along with three possible bays for ovens (2)

The remains of a possibly vaulted brick cellar were exposed. The barrel vault of the cellar was partially exposed on the surface with brick chimney or chute exposed in the centre of the vaulted area. It sits approximately 4m east the boiler house and associated bays, and may have been associated with either the house of correction, or the later transition and reuse of these structures as a lace factory. (2)

<1> Trent & Peak Archaeology, 2016, The Rainbow Depot, The Burgage, Southwell, Nottinghamshire: Historic Building Record (Unpublished document). SNT5202.

<2> E. Stammitti, 2016, The Rainbow Depot, The Burgage, Southwell, Archaeological Excavation and Watching Brief (Unpublished document). SNT5275.