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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Gloucester prison closure: Criminals buried underneath | Gloucester prison closure: Criminals buried underneath |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| A historian has said there could be up to 122 executed criminals buried in unmarked graves under Gloucester prison. | A historian has said there could be up to 122 executed criminals buried in unmarked graves under Gloucester prison. |
| The jail will close at the end of March and proposals for its future already include a hotel, flats and a museum. | The jail will close at the end of March and proposals for its future already include a hotel, flats and a museum. |
| But English Heritage said the site required archaeological investigation before any development takes place. | But English Heritage said the site required archaeological investigation before any development takes place. |
| The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said it was aware of 17 burials there between 1874 and 1939. | The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said it was aware of 17 burials there between 1874 and 1939. |
| A MoJ spokesman said it was considering the future of these along with the future use of the site. | |
| The prison, a Grade II*-listed building, was built over the levelled remains of Gloucester Castle. | The prison, a Grade II*-listed building, was built over the levelled remains of Gloucester Castle. |
| Local historian Phil Moss said public executions took place at the gate lodge up until the middle of the 19th Century. | Local historian Phil Moss said public executions took place at the gate lodge up until the middle of the 19th Century. |
| "Tradition was prisoners were always buried within the prison," he said. | "Tradition was prisoners were always buried within the prison," he said. |
| Mr Moss added that there could also be Roman remains beneath the jail. | Mr Moss added that there could also be Roman remains beneath the jail. |
| He said limestone set into the walls of the prison was believed to have come from "a Roman quay or something like that". | He said limestone set into the walls of the prison was believed to have come from "a Roman quay or something like that". |
| But he added not all the bodies will have been buried there. | |
| "According to the records when they were cut down from the gallows sometimes... the body was taken to Gloucester Infirmary and used for anatomical dissection," he added. | |
| 'Wealth of material' | 'Wealth of material' |
| Karl Hulker, head of archaeology at the Heritage Collective, said he understood there were remains of the original Roman town beneath the prison. | Karl Hulker, head of archaeology at the Heritage Collective, said he understood there were remains of the original Roman town beneath the prison. |
| "There's probably a wealth of material in there charting the entire history of Gloucester, possibly even from prehistoric times," he said. | "There's probably a wealth of material in there charting the entire history of Gloucester, possibly even from prehistoric times," he said. |
| An English Heritage spokesman said: "Although any archaeology surviving under the prison is not designated, it is of importance to the development of the city of Gloucester. | An English Heritage spokesman said: "Although any archaeology surviving under the prison is not designated, it is of importance to the development of the city of Gloucester. |
| "As such English Heritage will be closely working with any developer of the site to establish good adaptive reuse of this highly graded listed building. | "As such English Heritage will be closely working with any developer of the site to establish good adaptive reuse of this highly graded listed building. |
| "We have worked with developers in other areas of the country to achieve this successfully, namely Oxford prison. | "We have worked with developers in other areas of the country to achieve this successfully, namely Oxford prison. |
| "Any redevelopment scheme in Gloucester or any other historic city will have a requirement for archaeological investigation at a level appropriate for the site." | "Any redevelopment scheme in Gloucester or any other historic city will have a requirement for archaeological investigation at a level appropriate for the site." |
| Trevor Osbourne, who developed Oxford prison, said any developer of the Gloucester jail would need to take into account the cost of excavating any remains. | Trevor Osbourne, who developed Oxford prison, said any developer of the Gloucester jail would need to take into account the cost of excavating any remains. |
| "Clearly there's a great deal of records for Gloucester but you don't always know how complete those records are," he said. | "Clearly there's a great deal of records for Gloucester but you don't always know how complete those records are," he said. |
| "Therefore it's important you embark on a project like this by doing as much investigation as possible. | "Therefore it's important you embark on a project like this by doing as much investigation as possible. |
| "At Oxford we thought it would be about £250,000. It turned out to be more than double that because we kept finding more and more bodies. We found 76 in the end. | "At Oxford we thought it would be about £250,000. It turned out to be more than double that because we kept finding more and more bodies. We found 76 in the end. |
| "You can't be sure how long it will take or how much it will cost." | "You can't be sure how long it will take or how much it will cost." |