HMP Lowdham Grange: Visits, Regime and What Families Should Know

Last reviewed: July 2026

Quick answer: HMP Lowdham Grange is a Category B training prison near Nottingham holding around 900 adult men, most serving long sentences. Privately run since it opened in 1998 — latterly by Sodexo — it went through a deeply troubled period in 2023 that led the government to step in, and it has since been brought under public-sector (HMPPS) control. Visits must be booked in advance and photo ID is required.

About the prison

Lowdham Grange sits in the village of Lowdham, about seven miles north-east of Nottingham. It opened in February 1998 as one of the early privately financed prisons and was run by Serco for twenty-five years. As a Category B trainer it holds men serving four years and upwards, including a substantial number of life-sentence and other long-term prisoners, with a focus on workshops, education and offending-behaviour programmes rather than the churn of a local remand jail.

A prison through a difficult period

Families searching for Lowdham Grange will find troubling headlines from 2023, and it is fair to explain them. Sodexo took over the contract from Serco in February 2023, and within months the prison suffered serious instability, including the deaths of three prisoners in a matter of weeks and an inspection that found the jail in disarray. His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service formally “stepped in” to run the prison from December 2023, and in December 2024 the government and Sodexo agreed terms to end the contract, bringing Lowdham Grange under full public-sector control. Since the takeover the focus has been on stabilising staffing, safety and the daily regime. It is worth reading the latest report on the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website for the current picture rather than relying on 2023 coverage.

Key facts

Detail	Information
Category	B (training)
Population	Adult men, around 900, mostly long sentences
Opened	1998
Operator	Public sector (HMPPS) following step-in from Sodexo
Address	HMP Lowdham Grange, Lowdham, Nottingham NG14 7DA
Getting there	Around 20 minutes by car from Nottingham; limited bus links, so check journey plans before booking

Visits and keeping in touch

All social visits must be booked in advance — contact the prison’s visits line or use its booking system, and bring approved photo ID. Visitors go through standard security searching, and children must be accompanied by an adult. Money can be sent through the free GOV.UK service, and prisoners can make calls from in-cell or wing phones to approved numbers. Letters can be posted normally. As at most closed prisons, you cannot hand in property at visits — see our guide on bringing prisoners gifts for what you can send instead.

Regime, work and progression

As a trainer, Lowdham Grange is built around purposeful activity: industrial workshops, education through the prison’s learning provider, gym, and programmes addressing offending. Long-term prisoners work through their sentence plans here before progressing toward Category C conditions and eventually the open estate. Progression depends on behaviour, completed coursework and risk reviews — the route our founder Daniel Hockey describes from his own sentence, which took him from HMP Wandsworth through the system to open conditions at HMP Ford, an experience he recounts in The Secret Prisoner.

Common mistakes and misunderstandings: Turning up without a booked visit — you will be turned away, however far you have travelled. Relying on 2023 news reports for the current state of the prison — the operator and management have changed since. Sending parcels from home — property must come through approved routes. Assuming Category B means no progression — Lowdham Grange’s role is precisely to move long-term men through their sentence plans. Forgetting ID — every adult visitor needs approved photo identification.

Frequently asked questions

Is Lowdham Grange a private prison?

Not any more. It was privately run from opening in 1998 (Serco, then Sodexo from February 2023), but following serious problems HMPPS stepped in during December 2023 and the prison has been brought under public-sector control.

What category is HMP Lowdham Grange?

Category B — a training prison for men serving long sentences, not a local remand jail.

How do I book a visit?

Contact the prison directly via its visits booking line or online system, then bring photo ID on the day. Book well ahead, as weekend slots fill quickly.

What was wrong at Lowdham Grange in 2023?

Under the newly transferred Sodexo contract the prison suffered a period of serious instability, including three deaths in custody in quick succession, prompting government step-in and ultimately the end of the private contract.

See our A–Z of UK prisons, our guide to the best prisons in the UK, and nearby profiles such as HMP Gartree.