HMYOI Finnamore Wood, formerly known as HMYCC Finnamore Wood or Finnamore Wood Borstal, was an open prison, England. The prison was operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service. HMYOI Finnamore Wood was opened in 1961 as a Buckinghamshire open prison for young offenders (18- to 21-year-old males) serving their last 2–3 months before release back into the community. The camp was opened as a satellite camp for Feltham Borstal and later used as an annexe to HM Prison Huntercombe. Situated in one of the most rural areas of Buckinghamshire on the site of the former Evacuation Camp, known as, 'Finnamore Wood Holiday & Evacuation Camp'. The site was used for housing evacuees of Beal Modern Girls' School along with refugees during the Second World War. In 1948 the camp was used to house members of the American Canoe team who used Marlow Rowing Club as a training base for their Olympic Rowers. Shortly after, the site was used again as a holiday camp during the 1950s, owned by a company named National Camps Corporation. It was bought by the Home Office in 1960. When the camp closed in 1996, all inmates were transferred to Huntercombe YOI near Henley on Thames, which is still operational as a prison. David Wilson (criminologist) the Governor of Finnamore Wood Borstal between 1986-1988 is now, Professor of Criminology at Birmingham City University. A War Evacuation Camp Sourced from Redbridge Local Studies - Demonstrating Evacuees Arriving at Finnamore Wood 1940 On 22 April 1940 some pupils from Beal Modern Girls' School arrived at their wartime evacuation school, Finnamore Wood Camp. Many girls spent nearly four years at Finnamore Wood before it was safe to return to London. The girls used to spend some time creating useful items to send to the forces fighting in the great war, such as quilts. Many other evacuees from Beal Modern Girls' School would spend holidays such as Christmas at Finnamore Wood. The Prisons Resources Inmates were introduced back into the community from Finnamore Wood, where many used to have jobs in the local towns and farms. The camp consisted of an Educational Institute offering social skills courses along with a computer lab, classes in cooking in the camps Dining Hall and Kitchens, and the site also concentrated on sports recreation, with a remedial gymnasium/sports hall and a large playing field. Inmates were assigned jobs for the short period of time that they spent at Finnamore Wood. These jobs featured Gardening and Greenhouse planting, carpentry and plumbing. Finnamore Wood provided inmates with a taste of freedom and very rarely did anyone abuse this. Inmates slept in long dormitories without locks. Windows weren't covered with bars but instead a metal mesh. The Camp Grounds The camps buildings were mainly made from wood with brick foundations apart from the Dining Hall which featured brick chimneys and metal smoke outlets. The camp contained four cell blocks each unit with a communal bathroom. Other buildings on the site, a shower block, library, first aid centre, gardeners workshop, a carpenters workshop, plumbing workshop, education building and art studios and also a visits room. Staff & Wardens Some prison staff lived off site and would travel to work at Finnamore Wood. Others would live within the grounds in wardens housing with their families. A bar and social club was also on site for the residential staff and wardens. Incidents On October 16, 1992 some young prisoners from Finnamore Wood fought with their guards as they were passing through Henley-on-Thames. The guards contacted the local Police to attend and quell the riot as the wardens feared the situation could have erupted further, the vehicle was diverted to Henley Police Station. Inmates were being transferred to Huntercombe young offenders unit when the incident took place. Rioting in the prison was very minimal and the security was fairly relaxed compared to the life behind bars that inmates would have previously experienced. The land has been purchased, and signage erected on most of the buildings display warnings of the hazardous building material Asbestos. The derelict prison cell blocks have fallen into extreme disrepair and the dining hall roof collapsed in early 2013. All building were securered pretty tight only one you could walk into safety masks on as there was lots of Asbestos.
Was not much to see as you could not get into the buildings but the one we did go into we did mask up for just to be safe. Enjoy the few pictures.
Was not much to see as you could not get into the buildings but the one we did go into we did mask up for just to be safe. Enjoy the few pictures.
