Clink Prison Museum



2015-06-26 11:23:42

The Clink Prison Museum is situated on Clink Prison’s original site in London, UK.

The prison started out as a small portion of the Winchester House owned by the Bishop of Winchester. It was used by the Bishop to gain control of the Southbank of London which was known as the Liberty of the Clink. The Liberty was not under the authority of the City of London thus, illegal activities were allowed and prevalent within the area. Some of these activities were bull-baiting, inns, bear-baiting, and many other mysterious and sinister forms of entertainments. The liberty was abolished in 1889 and became part of the new County of London.

The Clink Prison is considered as one of the oldest men’s prisons and also probably the oldest women’s prison in England as its history dates back to 1144. Prisoners were held in Clink Prison until it was burnt down in 1780.

Famous people that have visited the Museum include William Shakespeare, Geoffrey Chaucer, Sir Francis Drake, and King Henry VIII.


Programs and events

The Prison offers hands-on experience to visitors and gives them the opportunity to handle real artifacts including torture devices. They will also be able to view and hear remarkable stories on the adventures of the Clink inmates.

Every year, the museum receives a lot of school trips and educational visits from children aged 8 to 18 years old. Students are able to handle historical relics of the Prison and are made aware of the national importance and significance of issues and events relating to crime and punishment. Testimonials from different colleges and universities prove that the visits of school kids to the Clink Prison were fun, memorable and very informative.

Visits to the museum could be arranged by contacting this number: 020 7403 0900. The museum presents three options for its tour packages – self-guided tours, tour by experienced costume guide and torturing tudors which is a 30-minute talk by a character actor. All these tours include free photographs which are downloadable online. And also, the tour team of Clink Prison Museum can design tours that are tailor-fitted to the needs and preferences of visitors. You can choose to have one that is educational, fun or a combination of both.

The museum also offers corporate packages including wine receptions, exclusive tours, and themed entertainment. You can even get a package where you would get a chance to touch or get a hold of prison items, which is something many visitors and guests find to be particularly enjoyable.

Paranormal activities

Because of its long and rich history, many visitors have reported experiencing paranormal events in their visits to the museum. Those who are interested in experiencing unexplainable events may find a visit to the Clink Prison truly enjoyable.

Updated database of inmates

The museum makes it a point to regularly update their database of inmates as they discover more names and personal stories. Visitors might be surprised to find out that one of their ancestors was actually an inmate at the Clink Prison.

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