Mr Barrowclough

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Mr Barrowclough was a character in the popular BBC sitcom Porridge. He was played by Brian Wilde.

Henry Barrowclough is a prison warden. Unlike Mr Mackay, whose harsh and confrontational methods Mr Barrowclough disapproves of (though he dare not make this known to Mr Mackay), Barrowclough is a timid, sympathetic man who firmly believes that the role of prison is to rehabilitate rather than punish.

Mr Barrowclough does not seem to be cut out for the life of a prison warden, and how he came to be in this line of work remains a mystery, although the free house and uniform are known to have played a part. Fletcher and the other prisoners constantly abuse Barrowclough's leniency to acquire more pleasant jobs, cells or special privileges. They also know how to forge his signature. However, despite this, the prisoners do hold a great deal of fondness for Barrowclough. At one point, in an attempt to raise his prestige, they stage a riot, refusing to stop for even the harshest of threats. However, when Mr Barrowclough timidly enters the hall, they fall silent, and do not hesitate in obeying his rather nervous requests such as 'now, why don't you all sit down.... please'.

However nervous his job makes Mr Barrowclough, it is nothing compared to the fear he has of, the often mentioned but never seen, Mrs Alice Barrowclough. It is partly because of Fletcher's advice on dealing with his wife that Mr Barrowclough is especially lenient when dealing with Fletch's requests and misdemeanours. Fletcher once described Mr Barrowclough as looking like 'Arthur Askey on stilts'.