Newcastle’s new borough prison (or "gaol" as it was known) on Carliol Square opened in 1828 and was designed by John Dobson. The prison dominated the East Pilgrim Street area and was a "panopticon" style prison designed to manage prisoners in a rational and reformist manner.
It witnessed at least 200,000 committals during its operation and housed petty thieves and murderers as well as suffragettes, political prisoners, and "enemy aliens". The prison was also the scene of several executions and sensational escapes. However, with national reforms to the prison system, and the reshaping of the Pilgrim Street area, the prison was demolished without fanfare in 1925, leaving few traces of its history behind.
This exhibition brings together some of the surviving heritage and documents relating to the prison alongside new visualisations and interpretations of the site. It will encourage a new understanding of the role of the prison in the social history of Newcastle and the importance of East Pilgrim Street as a hub of the city's development.
It witnessed at least 200,000 committals during its operation and housed petty thieves and murderers as well as suffragettes, political prisoners, and "enemy aliens". The prison was also the scene of several executions and sensational escapes. However, with national reforms to the prison system, and the reshaping of the Pilgrim Street area, the prison was demolished without fanfare in 1925, leaving few traces of its history behind.
This exhibition brings together some of the surviving heritage and documents relating to the prison alongside new visualisations and interpretations of the site. It will encourage a new understanding of the role of the prison in the social history of Newcastle and the importance of East Pilgrim Street as a hub of the city's development.
Event Dates
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3rd June 2025, 12:00am |
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4th June 2025, 12:00am |
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5th June 2025, 12:00am |
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