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All the United Kingdom Scotland Ayr Ayr Town Hall Cells

Ayr Town Hall Cells

Forgotten jail cells beneath this Scottish town hall are now used for delightfully artful storage.

Ayr, Scotland

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Stevie Douglas
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Ayr Town Hall Cells   stevied / Atlas Obscura User
Ayr Town Hall Cells   stevied / Atlas Obscura User
Ayr Town Hall Cells   stevied / Atlas Obscura User
Ayr Town Hall Cells   stevied / Atlas Obscura User
Ayr Town Hall Cells   stevied / Atlas Obscura User
Ayr Town Hall Cells   stevied / Atlas Obscura User
Ayr Town Hall Cells   stevied / Atlas Obscura User
Ayr Town Hall Cells   stevied / Atlas Obscura User
Ayr Town Hall   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Ayr Town Hall   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Exterior shots   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Jail cell door   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  fiosco355 / Atlas Obscura User
Civic Crest for South Ayrshire Council   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Underneath town hall in the historic Scottish town of Ayr, lie 12 prison cells which have been preserved since the Victorian era, but are now used for storage of everything from cleaning supplies to signs from defunct roads

The historic cells have changed surprisingly little since their inception, still maintaining their original doors with closable viewing slots and heavy steel hinges. While some of the rooms are empty, the Ayr council housed in the building above now uses some of the cells for storage. Most remarkably one of the basement rooms is lined with carefully displayed road signs taken from streets that have either been renamed or completely stricken from the land. The hidden rooms are seldom open for public viewing and thus the historical chambers are still in excellent condition. However on the rare occasions that the basement is open it is as if time has stood still, providing a great insight into the historical storage of humans and the modern storage of supplies. 

Related Tags

Crime Hidden Jails

Know Before You Go

Ayr Town Hall is a fully functioning civic operation. In that, access to the interior, including the jails cells, is greatly limited. However, during an event entitled Doors Open, the public is invited to explore various aspects of the building's purpose. These include guided tours of the jail cells. Doors Open occurs annually on weekends in September, throughout various regions of Scotland. It is advised to check the organization's website  to avoid disappointment.

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Community Contributors

Added By

stevied

Edited By

Rachel, SEANETTA, fiosco355

  • Rachel
  • SEANETTA
  • fiosco355

Published

January 16, 2014

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Sources
  • http://www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/registrationandbereavement/weddings/ayrtownhall.aspx
  • http://www.ayrthi.org.uk/newsentry.aspx?ID=46
Ayr Town Hall Cells
New Bridge Street
Ayr, Scotland, KA7 1LU
United Kingdom
55.464517, -4.632002
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Photo of Ayr

Ayr

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