THE history of the infamous moorland jail at Princetown, whose name has sent shivers coursing down the spine of many thousands of prisoners throughout British history, is vividly brought to life in two new books published by Halsgrove.

And who better to write about Dartmoor Prison than a man who spent 15 years working at the granite jail.

Ron Joy first arrived at the prison in 1968. Now 71, he has produced Dartmoor Prison, A Complete Illustrated History in two incredibly detailed volumes, packed full of fascinating historic detail.

From the introduction in volume one, it is evident the atmosphere and sense of history at HMP Dartmoor got under Ron?s skin from virtually his first day on duty, when he was told to take four convicts and tidy up the French and American cemeteries at the prison.

From that day he vowed to find out more about the building and its history, his researching taking him to records offices and archives throughout the country.

And what a history Ron has unearthed.

The foundation stone for Dartmoor Prison was officially laid on March 20, 1806 by Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt. The prison was built as a consequence of the war between Britain and France, when prisoners were taken to POW ?depots? ? principally ship ?hulks? moored off Plymouth, Chatham and Portsmouth. Before long, room ran out and as the Transport Board wrote: ?Land near Thomas Tyrwhitt?s lodges (at Tor Royal, Princetown) would make an admirable area for a prison to house prisoners of war and move them away from the dockyards and arsenals.?

Ron?s first book includes extracts from letters concerning these horrifying hulks ? and the equally unsanitary, inhumane conditions at the prison.

According to Ron, the total cost of building Dartmoor Prison was approximately £75,000, using cheap Cornish labour and apparently not to the best quality control to enable the contractor to balance his budget.

Much of the timber used came from broken up ships. Even now, Ron says it is possible to see holes bored for hammock lashings in some beams.

The first draft of prisoners of war arrived at Princetown in May 1809 ? within a month 5,000 were housed at the newly built, but horribly cold and damp prison, isolated deep in the heart of Dartmoor.

Ron?s first volume covers in minute detail the personnel, domestic arrangements including the sewage system and the life of those prisoners of war through several absorbing chapters.

Imagine the granite floored ?cachot?, where prisoners were sent following misdemeanours.

Ron says: ?When you place a bare hand against granite it feels intensely cold. The warmth from your body is drawn straight into the stone. Pity the naked prisoners of war who, in the middle of winter?s coldest days, could be kept locked up, hungry and frozen, with no beds or chairs.

?Many were forced to spend long periods in the cachot and died as a result. Those who did not had to endure the tortuous effect of almost total darkness, for the doors were designed to keep out daylight.?

French prisoners of war at Dartmoor were later joined by Americans following the war of 1812 and Ron describes the situation in which they found themselves with real clarity and feeling.

The first volume concludes with a list of inmates and their ages ? some tragically as young as 14 years old.

The second book covers the period following the departure of the last prisoners of war until the present day.

The prison for many years was left to rot and moulder until 1850, when it was re-opened to house convicts.

Ron conjures up vivid pictures of the appalling life of a Dartmoor inmate during these times, the sadistic warders, cold damp prison, ceaseless hard labour and vicious punishments meted out for seemingly insignificant misdemeaners. The descriptions are made all the more horrifying for the non-sensationalist and matter-of-fact manner in which they are written.

He recounts how treatment of prisoners gradually changed over the years, the major advance in the introduction of single cells and how conditions very slowly improved.

Dartmoor became home to conscientious objectors during the first world war ? and then discipline at the forbidding jail began to increase in severity, a contributing factor to the mutiny in 1932.

From then until the present day, Ron has compiled an incredibly detailed and quite fascinating record of a building which has quite rightly earned its chilling reputation.

But he finishes on an optimistic note and pays tribute to the huge developments which have taken place at HMP Dartmoor during the last few years, transforming it from ?bleak cold days as a dustbin-cum-lagging station, to the fine prison of today?.

l Dartmoor Prison, A Complete Illustrated History volumes one and two, are published by Halsgrove and cost £19.95.