Hewell Grange

Hewell Grange is a country house in Tardebigge, Worcestershire, England. "One of the most important late 19th century country houses in England", the mansion was built in 1884-91 by George Frederick Bodley & Thomas Garner for the Earl of Plymouth. Constructed in the Jacobethan style, it was "perhaps the last Victorian prodigy house." It is a Grade II* listed building. The park was developed by both Capability Brown and Humphry Repton and is on the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. The lake is a Site of Special Scientific Interest(SSSI).

Origins

The land was originally part of the estates of Bordesley Abbey. At the Dissolution of the Monasteries the property passed to Thomas Windsor Hickman.

Development

The estate remained a seat of the Windsor-Clive family (who were made Earls of Plymouth) until it was sold to the state in the 20th century. There are several ruins of earlier houses on the estate, and a large number of listed buildings, structures and statues.

HM Prison Hewell

HM Prison Hewell is a multiple security category men's prison in the village of Tardebigge in Worcestershire, England. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.

History

Hewell Prison is on the site of the Hewell Grange country house and estate, the former seat of the Earls of Plymouth and has open days for its park and garden. The estate was sold to the government c.1945 and in 1946 the main house was used as a Borstal. Over the years two other purpose-built prisons were built and opened on the estate: HMP Blakenhurst and HMP Brockhill, to hold other categories of prisoner, with enlargements. The Borstal itself was reclassified in 1991 to a Category D open prison, and renamed HMP Hewell Grange. The new 650-bed prison was operated by UK Detention Services, a partnership between Mowlem, Sir Robert McAlpine and Corrections Corporation of America.

In January 2008, the Prison Service announced that the three prisons would merge to be managed by a single team. Its provisional name for public consultation was 'HMP Redditch', however local residents objected and in March 2008 it was decided to rename the site HMP Hewell. HMP Hewell was formally created on 25 June 2008, and is the first in an efficiency drive involving the creation of new Titan prisons in the United Kingdom.