Riddled with disease, filthy and unhealthy, Newgate prison was demolished in the early 1900s and is said to have been one of the worst and most notorious prisons in London’s history.
History
So named because it was originally built into London’s old Roman wall, this hellish prison came to be when Henry II instigated legal reforms that gave the Crown greater authority in administering justice. Newgate was rebuilt several times from the 12th century onwards until its eventual demolition between 1902 and 1904.
For centuries, the mere mention of Newgate struck fear into Londoners. Unlike modern prisons, inmates were often expected to pay for food, bedding and other necessities. Those without money endured overcrowded cells, disease and starvation. Outbreaks of typhus, commonly known as “gaol fever”, regularly swept through the prison and occasionally spread beyond its walls into the courts and surrounding neighbourhoods.
Infamous for its horrific conditions, prisoners were often shackled in sewage-filled cells while inmates could be executed for offences that today would seem relatively minor. Following a rebuild in 1782, the prison comprised two main divisions. The common side housed society’s poorest and most destitute prisoners, while wealthier inmates could pay for more comfortable accommodation.
Newgate was also the site of London’s public gallows after executions were relocated from Tyburn, near present-day Marble Arch. Public hangings became some of the capital’s most popular spectacles, attracting thousands of spectators. Food and drink vendors would gather alongside the crowds, creating an atmosphere that often resembled a fairground rather than a solemn occasion. Until 1868, executions took place outside the prison walls. Afterwards, condemned men and women met their fate inside the prison away from public view.
One of the most dramatic episodes in Newgate’s history came during the Gordon Riots of 1780. Anti-Catholic protesters stormed the prison, setting it ablaze and allowing hundreds of prisoners to escape. The destruction was so extensive that the prison had to be largely rebuilt.
Prisoners also faced financial hardship even after being acquitted. In some cases, inmates were charged fees by prison officials and could remain behind bars simply because they could not afford to pay the costs of their release.
Over the centuries, Newgate housed many notable prisoners, including author Daniel Defoe, founder of Pennsylvania William Penn and the infamous adventurer Casanova.
Today
Today the site is better known as the Central Criminal Court, more commonly referred to as the Old Bailey. Although Newgate itself has long since disappeared, traces of the prison survive.
In Amen Court, to the rear of the present-day court building, visitors can still see a surviving section of the original prison wall.
Another reminder of the prison’s grim past can be found at St Sepulchre’s Church. The church’s bell was traditionally rung when an execution was imminent. Condemned prisoners would hear its sombre toll shortly before making their final journey to the gallows.
Prison Gates on display at the Museum of London
Artefacts from the prison also survive in museum collections. Among the most striking are Newgate’s enormous iron entrance doors, now preserved by the Museum of London.
Newgate Prison door, circa 1780
“In 1780, Newgate prison was rebuilt after its destruction in the Gordon Riots. Behind its monumental iron entrance doors, there were dark and dank prison cells occupied by prisoners awaiting trial, execution and transportation. Executions took place regularly in front of the prison, attracting vast crowds. After witnessing one, Charles Dickens wrote that he felt as if he was ‘living in a city of devils’.” – Museum of London
Few prisons left a mark on London quite like Newgate. For more than 700 years it witnessed disease, riots, executions and some of the most infamous criminals in British history. Although the prison itself has vanished, fragments of its walls, its bell and countless stories remain as reminders of one of London’s most feared institutions.
