Last weekend we spent the afternoon behind bars ... at Ruthin Gaol to be precise.
We saw what the prisoners ate ... a very 'appetising' plate of scouse at weekends (often much better food than on the outside)
We went into a number of cells on the lower floor
The old bath was still there ... every prisoner had a bath once a week in cold water, bad enough if you were first in the queue, but horrendous if you were 20th!
this is the governor's office
Female prisoners did laundry work and spinning
Jobs for the men included treadmills and unravelling rope.
Upstairs we were astounded to see the true scale of the building as the floors opened out above us.
This is the condemned cell where a door led to the gallows outside. The last execution was in 1913 ... I felt quite sorry for the man until I read about his crime.
While the building was very interesting, we found the stories of the prisoners even more fascinating. The tales were heartbreaking at times ... most people were imprisoned for petty thieving as life was so difficult for them.... they were probably just trying to keep their families alive. So sad!
However, the most infamous inmate was the Welsh 'Houdini' .... a certain Coch Bach Y Bala ... or the 'little redhead from Bala', who spent more time in British prisons than outside. He was a kleptomaniac, and stole things that were of little use to him. Managing to escape from the prison three times, instead of lying low, was prone to boasting about his exploits in the local hostelries, leading to his swift recapture. He was eventually shot by a landowner, and hundreds of locals turned out for his funeral, even selling postcards of the event!!!!
It was a very unusual, but thoroughly fascinating visit ... and at only £3.50 each, an absolute bargain!
Sounds like a good day out or should I say in? Hope the weather is better with you than it is here x
ReplyDeleteFascinating. I am a'prison child" - that is, my dad was head of various prisons in South Africa and I visited Robben Island the first time in 1982 and twice since then. My momwas head of a women's prison and accidently locked me up with the mothers and babies when I was something like 3! Only realised that when she got to the front gate, had to unlock all the back to where I was playing happily with a baby :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a fascinating trip. I bet those stories were so interesting.
ReplyDeleteWhat a really intersting palce to visit and it looks like it's kept really well too.
ReplyDeleteLisa x
Sounds like an interesting place. I'll have to remember that one if I'm ever that way.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed your visit to my town Kathy - maybe we'll bump into eachother one day. A great great uncle was imprisoned at the gaol for stealing a chicken - he's named there on the 1881 census!
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