The Verne Citadel

This old Victorian harbour defence fort served as a prison for many years and now houses a café run by prisoners and open to the public.

The massive 58 acre Verne Citadel is a Victorian fortification constructed between 1851 & 1887 at the highest point overlooking Portland Harbour in Dorset, UK.

It was designed by Captain W Crossman of the Royal Engineers and built in local limestone, with earth banks to absorb explosions. It was largely constructed by convict labour.

It was built as the main defence of Portland Harbour after the Royal Navy started to use the harbour. It is not accessible from the north and east and the south and west were protected by a large ditch. The citadel had gun emplacements on the north, east and south sides with its main armament being 7 inch rifled muzzle loading guns.

Its defensive role came to an end in 1903 after which it was used as an infantry barracks and then the HQ for coastal artillery in both WW1 and WW2. During WW2 it also housed a radar mast for the Home Chain radar system.

In 1948 it was converted to a prison , Her Majesty's Prison Verne, and remained so until 2014 when it was converted to a detention centre for immigrants awaiting deportation. As a prison it held 575 prisoners and as a detention centre it holds about the same number. It is still run by HM Prison Service.

In 2011 ,as part of the prisoner rehabilitation effort a café was opened in the unsecured part of the prison, staffed by inmates and open to the public.

The Jailhouse Café is still in opperation but it is now operated by prisoners on day release from HM Prison Portland and Portland Young Offenders Institution.

Whilst parts of the site are still secure and inaccessible there is still lots to see and the views over the harbour are well worth the drive up to the summit.