The old Gaol

“In June 1330 the Archbishop of York, Lord of the Manor of Hexham, ordered the building of a prison in Hexham. Many of the stones came from the Roman ruins at Corbridge. Two years later it was furnished and equipped with chains and manacles. A barber, John of Carwood, was the first gaoler.

Prisoners were kept in two underground dungeons. Those awaiting trial by the Bailiff’s Court were held in upper rooms. These were reached by a spiral staricase lit by tiny windows.

In 1824 the building ceased to be used as a prison. Later a new central staircase was built and the room layout was altered for the use of the Stewards of the secular Lords of the Manor. The building became know as the Manor Office.”*

The old Gaol

*Information from a signboard outside the gaol

2 Comments CherryPie on Oct 27th 2021

2 Responses to “The Old Gaol – Hexham”

  1. lisl says:

    I guess it was a rare occurrence for anyone to break out of here, Cherie