As yet another new venture takes shape for Sessions House, we look at the history of the former prison, courthouse, pub and restaurant

You are likely to have driven past it countless times but have you ever thought much about the history of Sessions House?

Up until recently, the striking castle-style building on Thorpe Road has been little more than a glorified car park, so it’s little wonder many of us may now pass it by without giving it much thought or consideration.

But with the Grade II listed building looking set to become a hospitality venue once again, now is an opportune moment to remind ourselves of the former judicial building’s illustrious heritage.

Originally built in 1842, the Grade II listed Sessions House on Thorpe Road has sat empty for the past 14 years.

placeholder image — Originally built in 1842, the Grade II listed Sessions House on Thorpe Road has sat empty for the past 14 years.

A checkered history

Built in 1842, the Sessions House originally started life as an integral part of the Peterborough Gaol buildings, serving initially as the entrance to a comprehensive 69-cell prison which was protected by an octagonal stone wall.

However, the jail did not last long as, following nationalisation of the prison system in Britain, the building closed was repurposed in 1878 as headquarters for the local police, the Liberty of Peterborough Constabulary.

The building retained this role for many decades until the post-war years, when it finally became surplus to requirements.in 1957, the police moved to a new station house on Bridge Street, which resulted in much of the original gaol building being demolished in the early 1960s. The Sessions House entrance building at the front of the site was retained and turned into a courthouse.

However, as the number of court cases in the Peterborough area grew, modern courtrooms were constructed within the city centre in the 1970s and ‘80s.

The building was converted into the Mitchells & Butlers public house – which many Peterborians will have memories of – in the 1980s.

At the start of this century, Peterborough entrepreneur Rinaldo Fasulo acquired it and turned it into a 200-seater carvery restaurant and bar.

With its use as a hospitality venue effectively ending in 2012, Sessions House eventually became a car park for NHS employees working at the nearby hospital.

A brighter future?

While the handsome building has effectively sat empty for the past 14 years, a brighter future may well be on the horizon.

Plans have been revealed which, and recently approved, that will see new owners restore Sessions House to its former glory to become a “key destination in Peterborough” as a new hospitality venue, once again a bar/restaurant. The application was eagerly endorsed by Peterborough’s Civic Society. “This application is a positive and long-awaited sign of progress in the preservation of this Grade II Listed Building, which has been deteriorating and at risk for some years,” the Society stated in a letter of support for the initial planning application.

Once it is back up and running, it is hoped the revitalised venue could make a significant contribution to the city’s proposed new Station Quarter development, Peterborough City Council’s a £65 million regeneration project which aims to transform the area around Peterborough Railway Station into a modern, accessible gateway.