Hexham Old Gaol
Four floors packed with information will really brings history to life:
• Delve into the dark history of the Old Gaol, the Shire and the Borders
• Enjoy an unforgettable learning experience
• Find out about the terrifying Border Reiver raids and the tragic consequences
• Watch the special “Reiver Raid†film made exclusively for the Old Gaol
• Discover the area’s history and explore the buildings the Borderers lived in
The building of Hexham Gaol was ordered June 1330 making it the oldest purpose-built prison in England. It held prisoners captured in Hexhamshire - the area ruled over by the Archbishop of York - and his Bailiff and officials ran the Shire on his behalf from the nearby Moothall.
The Gaol was used until the 1820s, when a new county gaol was built at Morpeth. By 1828 most prisoners were held in Morpeth Gaol, and the Hexham House of Correction was used for petty thieves. More recently the building has been used as a bank, solicitors' office, home for the Rifle Volunteers, a Billiards Club, and a place from which to firewatch in the Second World War. By the mid-1970s the building was in a bad state and following major repairs it reopened as a museum and tourist information centre.
Open Tuesday & Saturday (plus Bank Hols & school summer holiday Mondays April - end September). Closed December & January.
Part of Woodhorn Charitable Trust along side Berwick Museum and Art Gallery, Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum and Woodhorn.
