Dartmoor

Role and background

Dartmoor Prison is temporarily closed while investigation and mitigation work relating to radon is carried out. As of 20 October 2026, its current public guidance does not give a confirmed reopening date.

The prison at Princetown has a history stretching back to the Napoleonic wars. Construction took place between 1806 and 1809, following a decision to move prisoners of war away from overcrowded prison ships near Plymouth.

The first group of French prisoners arrived in May 1809. The site later held American prisoners of war and reopened as a convict prison in 1850.

Dartmoor therefore requires two different explanations: the long history of the establishment and its present closure. Any future account of normal prison life must be checked again against a confirmed operational update.

Visiting and family contact

That status matters when reading about the prison. Historic accounts of its population, education, work or visiting arrangements should not be treated as evidence that those services are operating there today.

Its history is explored at Dartmoor Prison Museum through documents, objects and accounts of prison life. The museum's visitor offer is separate from access to the prison itself.

Practical advice before you make arrangements

Do not arrange a social visit using historic Dartmoor visiting times. Confirm the person's present establishment before booking travel.

Dartmoor Prison Museum has separate access arrangements and is not a route into the closed prison.