Famous Former Prison Site Is Released
Montagu Evans is marketing an investment and development site in St Albans that was once the town's prison and whose frontage appeared as HMP Slade in the 1970s sitcom Porridge.
The 2.84-acre site at 1-3 Victoria Square faces St Albans City railway station. It includes The Gatehouse, home to the 2,910 sq ft St Albans Register Office, which is leased to Hertfordshire County Council until 2034, plus two office buildings at 2 and 3 Victoria Square with a combined 42,759 sq ft. The offices form part of a business park built on the land in the 1990s.
This year the firm's planning and development teams secured permitted development rights to convert 2 and 3 Victoria Square into 55 flats. PRP Architects has since carried out a feasibility study looking at how the site could be made to work harder, including possible extensions and new buildings.
Harry Charman, senior associate at Montagu Evans, highlighted the site's closeness to the main commuter station and the residential consent already in place. The vendor is looking for an unconditional buyer.
Source: UK Property Forums, original article (17 October 2025)
