I'm 92 now and was posted to RAF Portland in 1955. I had to climb the radar mast every day for inspection, I took a couple of photographs from the top of the 200ft Radar tower, one of which was the Verne Prison.
The Building you pan to at 02:20 is one of the buildings I grew up in as a child in the mid to late 70's, I grew up in a fort, we had the best times growing up there where my dad was a Prison Officer, The grass area in front used to be houses which were demolished 1978 but the roadways remain. Always a good answer to a question when I am asked where I grew up, Walking through the Tunnel to get to school, the House you pass by on teh left at 02:47 was where my best mate at the time lived.
Such a crying shame these grandly buit Portland stone buildings have been left to deteriorate so badly. I went in there myself about the same time as you & was so shocked to see the state they were in inside. So sad 😔
I used to work in the Jail House Café before it closed and reopened with new management and we used to go inside them buildings. They're amazing but they put the fences up after a kid who was visiting went inside and decided to venture upstairs then fell thru the rotten floor and had to be rushed off to hospital I think he damaged his back and legs 🤦🏻♀️ weird layout inside... 💞
Hello and thanks for watching , thanks for letting us know that information on the place :). Unfortunately it is a very dangerous structure now and some parts you can fall through if your not careful. I hope the boy has recovered now tho and he’s okay
I didn't even know that it had shut down I still thought it was a deportation centre I know the wier left and Dorchester shut and Portland used to my home back in early 90s had to march everywhere.
Hello thanks for commenting, the prison itself it’s still in use but these building seen in the video that are on the prison grounds are no longer used as you can tell from the state of them.
@ian them jeans shirt tie with brown shoes wtf 🤣 and ring ya buzzer on induction wing for a piss during the night but what done me was them circuits in gym wow.
Hello thanks for commenting, the building we explored were accommodating building, on prison grounds right next the to prison. The prison is still used and active.
With the CHRONIC shortage of houses in the UK , it might be an idea to renovate most of these stout properties ..... a works party from the actual low security jail might clear up the HUGE mess , with some learning the building trade doing some basic work , with then an outside company doing the most difficult renovations ... but then , it is Government property , so that will involve a LOT of civil service Pffaffing about ( as usual ? ) ... just an idea ? ......... DAVE™🛑
That's such a good idea I wonder why they didn't do it! It's such a waste & everyone who lives in the island agrees. I think they actually sold the buildings & then the buyer found out that services like water/elec/sewage etc has to be brought up especially as they aren't allowed to use the prison supply!! So a very expensive purchase & hence nothing been done. I think.
Hello thanks for commenting, as stated in the descriptions we found that these were accommodated building by locals but we couldn’t find much information on them.
i was up there yesterday doing some exploring but couldn’t find the way to this prison you are at, we walked all around the moat but couldn’t find a way in the only was we could see was through the big tunnel which had no unauthorised access sign posted, i don’t suppose you would let me know how you got up there.
I’m confused. I did a wiki search on this place and it says it reopened in 2018, but how can it be in such a bad state just 4 years later when you made this video?
The buildings are not been used and are abandoned because of change of use lack of use cost to run cost to upgrade and repair plus some of the similar buildings inside the prison with same stonework exteriors have building issues as in asbestos been used in the construction when ever they were upgraded last in the 40's50's60's I won't go into any old government building that has been abandoned for the simple fact you don't know what hazards you might be subjecting your self too ....
@@PartnersOfTheForgottenWorld - Yes he is. HMP The Verne now only houses sex offenders, and Glitter is their most (in)famous resident. The prison has some interesting information on the gov.uk website.
NOT able to share the prison ( water and electric supply feed ! ) ? as I said in my comment below , the UK civil service prides itself on : ( JOBSWORTH and pffaffing about ) .... I have worked for the MOD and I found the waste and passive aggressive attitudes beats almost any private company ........ ( tried - n - tested ) ............... DAVE™🛑
I'm 92 now and was posted to RAF Portland in 1955. I had to climb the radar mast every day for inspection, I took a couple of photographs from the top of the 200ft Radar tower, one of which was the Verne Prison.
The Building you pan to at 02:20 is one of the buildings I grew up in as a child in the mid to late 70's, I grew up in a fort, we had the best times growing up there where my dad was a Prison Officer, The grass area in front used to be houses which were demolished 1978 but the roadways remain. Always a good answer to a question when I am asked where I grew up, Walking through the Tunnel to get to school, the House you pass by on teh left at 02:47 was where my best mate at the time lived.
The last of the flats you went into was my home from 1975-1980. We were the last family to live there.
😁
Oh really we saw that there newish building on the edge that people were living in. What was it like living on the grounds of a prison?
I lived in The Verne in the late 70’s. After 2 years I was moved to Armley.
I would love to explore that place! Great video!
Thank you ☺️
I have explored this place they're amazing inside 💞
Watching you kids going I thought"now there's something I've never done,broke into jail!"😆good video be careful out there.
Hhahaha we will do . Thank you ☺️
Omg i lived here in 70s brought back so many memories
Thank you for watching the video ☺️. Do you know how long it has been abandoned.
I live on portland, such a good place to live and a lot to see if you go out walking
another great video well done..
Thank you :)
Such a crying shame these grandly buit Portland stone buildings have been left to deteriorate so badly. I went in there myself about the same time as you & was so shocked to see the state they were in inside. So sad 😔
I used to work in the Jail House Café before it closed and reopened with new management and we used to go inside them buildings. They're amazing but they put the fences up after a kid who was visiting went inside and decided to venture upstairs then fell thru the rotten floor and had to be rushed off to hospital I think he damaged his back and legs 🤦🏻♀️ weird layout inside... 💞
Hello and thanks for watching , thanks for letting us know that information on the place :). Unfortunately it is a very dangerous structure now and some parts you can fall through if your not careful. I hope the boy has recovered now tho and he’s okay
I didn't even know that it had shut down I still thought it was a deportation centre I know the wier left and Dorchester shut and Portland used to my home back in early 90s had to march everywhere.
Hello thanks for commenting, the prison itself it’s still in use but these building seen in the video that are on the prison grounds are no longer used as you can tell from the state of them.
Remember the marching ,and the full size snooker tables 😜😜😜
So is it still a deportation centre then.
@ian them jeans shirt tie with brown shoes wtf 🤣 and ring ya buzzer on induction wing for a piss during the night but what done me was them circuits in gym wow.
@@andyspencer1010 - No it’s gone back to being a prison (specialising in sex offenders). Gary Glitter is housed there.
This aint the actual prison though is it?
Hello thanks for commenting, the building we explored were accommodating building, on prison grounds right next the to prison. The prison is still used and active.
With the CHRONIC shortage of houses in the UK , it might be an idea to renovate most of these stout properties ..... a works party from the actual low security jail might clear up the HUGE mess , with some learning the building trade doing some basic work , with then an outside company doing the most difficult renovations ... but then , it is Government property , so that will involve a LOT of civil service Pffaffing about ( as usual ? ) ... just an idea ? ......... DAVE™🛑
That's such a good idea I wonder why they didn't do it! It's such a waste & everyone who lives in the island agrees. I think they actually sold the buildings & then the buyer found out that services like water/elec/sewage etc has to be brought up especially as they aren't allowed to use the prison supply!! So a very expensive purchase & hence nothing been done. I think.
This looks more like staff accommodation and admin buildings to me, can anybody confirm that ?
Hello thanks for commenting, as stated in the descriptions we found that these were accommodated building by locals but we couldn’t find much information on them.
i was up there yesterday doing some exploring but couldn’t find the way to this prison you are at, we walked all around the moat but couldn’t find a way in the only was we could see was through the big tunnel which had no unauthorised access sign posted, i don’t suppose you would let me know how you got up there.
Hello , I’m sorry to hear this as when we explored it we parked in the car park and it was literally right in front of us .
@@PartnersOfTheForgottenWorld did you have to drive through the big arch way to get to the car park
@@uKRobertGB yes with traffic lights
Is there any new updates on this prison has it been refurbished?
I’m confused. I did a wiki search on this place and it says it reopened in 2018, but how can it be in such a bad state just 4 years later when you made this video?
Thank you for that information, I think it may mean the prison itself reopened but the housing for the staff and building in the grounds didn’t.
There are no bars ,was this inside the jail or outside the perimeter???
Years ago used to have a little golf course , supposedly tunnels to Portland .
Hello this was the accommodation not the prison itself
Love the new full screen footage, what camera do you have? It looks really good! 😁
Just a iPhone camera at the moment! Will get a GoPro soon!
The buildings are not been used and are abandoned because of change of use lack of use cost to run cost to upgrade and repair plus some of the similar buildings inside the prison with same stonework exteriors have building issues as in asbestos been used in the construction when ever they were upgraded last in the 40's50's60's I won't go into any old government building that has been abandoned for the simple fact you don't know what hazards you might be subjecting your self too ....
don't come to close. not that the prison staff thinks you are there to free the Gary Glitter
Gary Glitter is in this prison now i've hurd !!!
Really?
@@PartnersOfTheForgottenWorld - Yes he is. HMP The Verne now only houses sex offenders, and Glitter is their most (in)famous resident. The prison has some interesting information on the gov.uk website.
The Verne now only houses sex offenders and peodophiles !
NOT able to share the prison ( water and electric supply feed ! ) ? as I said in my comment below , the UK civil service prides itself on : ( JOBSWORTH and pffaffing about ) .... I have worked for the MOD and I found the waste and passive aggressive attitudes beats almost any private company ........ ( tried - n - tested ) ............... DAVE™🛑