Along a busy Peterborough road is a castle-like building that has a fascinating history. The Sessions House on Thorpe Road in Peterborough is a prominent feature that can’t be missed.
It’s a grand building that looks like a castle, with its fortified towers at each end and large doors that welcome you in. It also has large glazed windows and small arches, similar to a castle.
The building is no longer used, and the site is now a car park. However, it’s had several different uses over the years.
The building was built in 1842 and at the time, it cost around £8,000 to build. The former Abbot’s Prison in Long Causeway had fallen into decay and closed in the 1840s. The Sessions House was then used as a prison and has also been used as a court.
In 1857, the Liberty of Peterborough Constabulary, a police force, was formed and set up its headquarters at the Sessions. By 1878, after inmates at the Sessions were transferred to Cambridge or Northampton, the prison closed.
The police then took over the old prison building, but then moved to Bridge Street in May 1957. The building continued to be used as a court, but there was a need for more modern court buildings.
In 1978, the magistrates’ court was built in Rivergate and cases were moved there. During the 1980s, the building was converted into a Mitchells and Butlers pub, and later became a restaurant in 2002. The restaurant closed in 2012.
In November 2025, Mr R Fasulo submitted plans to Peterborough City Council to partially demolish the building, extend it at the back and make internal alterations.
The aim of the plans is to bring the building back into “beneficial use”. While some aren’t in favour of the plans, some have said it will be “great” to see the “iconic” building used again.
Take a closer look at the former prison and restaurant in our gallery below.