The History of Walton Prison/Gaol (now HM Prison Liverpool)

The stereotype of Liverpudlians is that they are often busy robbing people and committing other crimes.

It is obviously a nonsense, based on a time in history when the city was incredibly poor and people did whatever they could simply to survive. Poverty in Liverpool remains worse than in many other parts of the country, but the crime rate isn’t distinctly worse than anywhere else.

Even so, there is a need to have a prison on the outskirts of the city, that actually boasts a fascinating history dating back to the middle of the 19th century.

Walton Gaol Hangings

Between 1948 and 1955, there was a new prison built on the outskirts of Liverpool. It was built to the designs of John Weightman, a borough surveyor who was not the same person as John Grey Weightman.

There had been a place in the centre of Liverpool, but it had become too small for the needs at the time. It originally housed both male and female inmates and was also where executions took place. Between 1887 and as late as 1964 there were 62 judicial executions carried out at what was known as Walton Gaol.

The final person to be executed there was Peter Anthony Allen, who was convicted of the murder of John Alan West, working with his accomplice Gwynne Owen Evans. The conviction was in the April of 1964, with the pair of them simultaneously executed on the 13th of August that year, with Allen hanged at Walton Gaol and Evans in Strangeways, Manchester.

Capital punishment for murder remained in place for another 15 months after the two of them were executed for their crimes. The hangings carried out at Walton Gaol weren’t the only fascinating part of its history, however.

Elizabeth Berry and Patrick Gibbons

It wasn’t just Allen who was killed at Walton Gaol, of course. There were some other notable victims of the system of capital punishment for certain crimes, such as Elizabeth Berry.

Berry was the first person to be hanged at the Gaol, found guilty of poisoning her 11-year-old daughter for her life insurance, worth £10. In a strange twist of fate, her execution was also called ‘Berry’ and it emerged that the pair had even danced together at a police ball years earlier. That ball had been held in Manchester, showing few good things come from the city.

1930..Walton Gaol. Liverpool. pic.twitter.com/5pD6XpPzPp

— Kathleen (@oldpicposter) July 2, 2023

Patrick Gibbons was also executed at Walton Gaol. Whereas Elizabeth Berry had been committed of the crime of killing her daughter, Gibbons had murdered his mother and was convincted in 1892. Berry was also the hangman for his execution, but the hanging didn’t go as planned.

When he dropped onto the rope, the force was such that it nearly decapitated Gibbons. It was an extremely gruesome death. In what is perhaps not all that surprising news, Berry resigned from his role as a hangman and executioner not longer after the failed execution of Gibbons.

The Modern Prison

During the Blitz, Liverpool was heavily targeted because of the perceived strategic importance of the city and the port. In 1940, Germany launched a particularly heavy bombardment of Liverpool, which resulted in the walls of the prison being hit.

One win of the prison in particular was hit, leaving 22 inmates dead in the process. It took about 11 years for the rubble to be cleared, which was the point at which the only remaining inmate’s body was discovered. The bombing came a year after the Irish Republican Army had attempted to break down one of the walls during the S-Plan bombing campaign.

@thisisliverpoolcity #liverpool #merseyside #scouse #scousersoftiktok #scousers #uk #english #england #fyp #drone #dronevideo #hmp ♬ We Are Not Alone – 清清天籁之音

Nowadays, His Majesty’s Prison Liverpool is a category B/C local prison. It has come under criticism several times in the past, such as in the May of 2003 when a report criticised it for over-crowding and the poor relations between guards and prisoners.

In 2010, another report revealed that drugs and violence were prevalent, which continued unabated to the point that three prison officers were hospitalised after being attacked by prisoners in 2015. There are eight wings of the prison, so perhaps it isn’t too much of a surprise that it is difficult for the wardens to police it.

A Forward-Thinking Prison Focusing on Rehabilitation

For those who find themselves as inmates at HM Prison Liverpool, life isn’t all bad. There are education and training courses that can be carried out by prisoners, looking to improve their chances of staying on the straight and narrow in the outside world. There is a radio programme, Walton Radio, for example, which offers prisoners the opportunity to earn qualifications in the likes of radio production and music technology.

The prison tries to emphasis rehabilitation through the likes of employability up-skilling, even if the prison itself has continued to have problems.

Been into Walton Gaol today to get interviewed on prison radio and sing a song for the lads in there. Enjoyed it! 😀 pic.twitter.com/bNWhWtYEP1

— Ian Prowse (@IanProwse) January 9, 2023

There is a ‘Listener Scheme’ at the prison that is run by the Samaritans for anyone kept prisoner there who might be at risk of suicide or self-harm. There is also a ‘resettlement unit’, which consists of the likes of a Citizen’s Advice unit, a Job Centre Plus and somewhere where Shelter can offer help and advice to those that fear that they might become homeless.

In January 2020, a new report revealed that the conditions at HMP Liverpool had ‘improved dramatically’, which can only be seen as a good thing for those resident there.