Visits for the main prison are held on
- Mon: 13:45 – 16:45
- Wed: 09:00 – 12:00 (VP unit) & 13:45 – 16:45
- Thu: 13:45 – 16:45 (VP unit)
- Fri: 13:45 – 16:45
- Sat: 09:00 – 12:00 & 13:00 – 17:00
- Sun: 09:00 – 12:00 & 13:00 – 17:00
and those for the therapeutic community on
- Mon: 14:00 – 17:00
- Fri: 14:00 – 17:00
- Sat: 09:00 – 12:00 & 13:00 – 17:00
- Sun: 09:00 – 12:00 & 13:00 – 17:00
Visits should be booked at least 24 hours in advance on 0800 877 8951, or by email on [email protected]. They can also be booked whilst you are visiting the prison. There is a staffed visitor’s centre which has a children’s play area and refreshment facilities.
You will be subjected to the usual search, rather like when you check in at an airport and you must have either one form of photo ID or 2 other forms of ID. Drug detection dogs may well be operation. All visitors will be subject to searching, and drugs detection dogs are in use. Visitors will have their biometric (photo and fingerprint) information captured, but this is periodically deleted once a visitor has not been for a period of time.
You are advised to arrive at least 30 mins before the start of your visit, and no visit will be allowed to take start later than 1 hr before the end of the visiting period.
Transport to the Prison
If you want to plan your journey on public transport visit the the traveline web site (click here). It is an excellent way to plan your visits.
Dovegate is located in Staffordshire between Stoke on Trent and Derby, just off the main A50. The prison is on Bus service 402 (407 on Sunday) links the prison with Uttoxeter and Burton on Trent. Telephone 0870 608 2608 for timetable information.
The nearest train station is Uttoxeter or Tutbury & Hatton. It is unlikely that the taxi rank at Tutbury will have any taxis in it so book a cab in advance.
There is ample car parking available at the visitors centre.