The original and notorious Clink Prison was used for the detention of religious non-conformists, priests who refused the Oath of Allegiance and for everyday criminals and those who broke the peace on Bankside or in Southwark's brothels. The Clink Prison was also the first prison in which women were regularly confined and therefore the first women's prison.
After it burned down during the Gordon Riots of 1780, the Clink was never rebuilt. The Clink Prison Museum is currently located on the original prison site, within the basement of what was once a warehouse in Clink Street.
Clink Prison Museum
Museum in
Address
Clink Street, SE1 9DG
Telephone
0)207 403 0900
Category
Museums
Nearest Station
London Bridge (0.24 miles)
Website
www.clink.co.uk/
Clink Prison Museum Picture Gallery
Best For
London's oldest attractions
Something for the history-buffs...
In its medieval heyday the Clink Prison housed London's most notorious criminals: prostitutes, heretics and drunkards. Built in 1144, weapons of torture like hot rods were routinely employed, and these are on display in the museum today. It is also where the phrase 'in the clink' comes from.
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