Listed Building record MDR7274 - Round House lock up, Ticknall

SK 3516 2390. Round building, approximately 1.5m in diameter, with a polygonal spire roof adjacent to the main road in Ticknall. Post Medieval prison. (1) Lock-up. Grade II* listed building. Late 18th century. Red brick with sandstone dressings. Small octagonal structure with a doorway to the south that has a stone lintel and jambs. Studded plank door. Chamfered stringcourse at the base of the octagonal brick spire. The interior has a fireplace. (2) The Ticknall Round House was built during October and November 1809 by local builders and craftsmen using local raw materials. It is unusual in that it was built with a fireplace and has an open brick in the roof to act as an air vent. Evidence from the Constable's Accounts shows that the Round House was used by the village "watch", which is the probable reason for the added comfort. It is not clear when the Round House ceased to be used for its original purpose. No records have been traced of anyone being locked up there and its most probable use was for the confinement of drunks who would have been released the next day, with no record being kept. An organised Police Force was introduced after 1839 and it is possible that the Round House became obsolete by the 1850s, particularly as the Police House in Main Street had its own cell. In 1852 records show that the Round House was used by the Road Surveyors for storage of their equipment and during the Second World War it served as an arms store for the Home Guard. More recently it was used to house road sweeping equipment. (3)