Guided Tours / Accommodation 

We can offer the following: 

1. Guided tour 
2. Guided tour and a nights accommodation 
While we realise that parents and local schools are on tight budgets we would be looking 
to make the tours and/or accommodation as affordable as possible 

Addington Prison Background 

This important example of “Gothic Revival” architecture was built in 1874 under the 

guidance of Benjamin W Mountfort. 
Constructed out of 60cm thick concrete, which at the time was a relatively new material, 
the building has survived in pristine condition. 


Addington prison was first used for female prisoners and was built because of the overcrowding 
at Lyttelton1. 

Over the years the building has been used as a jail, woman’s prison and military camp. 
The Mountfort cell block and remaining perimeter walls are scheduled as a protected 
item, for historical and architectural reasons, in the Christchurch City Plan. 

Reference Material 

1. Addington The Prison. Mike Andrews and Peter van Zoggel 
2. 1 The Devil’s Own Brigade. A History of Lyttelton Goal 1860-1920 by David Gee 
3. www.jail.co.nz 
Kind regards Kirsty and Grant