Newgate Prison: The History of London’s Most Notorious Jail
Last reviewed: June 2026
For more than 700 years, Newgate Prison stood at the heart of the City of London and at the heart of its criminal justice. From medieval times to the early twentieth century it housed debtors, felons and the condemned, and its name became a byword for squalor, suffering and public execution. Though demolished long ago, Newgate’s influence on English prison history, literature and law remains profound.
Origins and early centuries
Newgate took its name from one of the gates in London’s old Roman wall. A prison was established there in the late twelfth century, traditionally dated to around 1188, making it one of the longest-serving prisons in English history. For centuries it held a mix of debtors, petty criminals and serious felons awaiting trial or punishment. Conditions were notoriously bad: overcrowding, disease and extortion by keepers were routine, and outbreaks of “gaol fever” (typhus) periodically swept through the cells, sometimes killing prisoners, staff and even those in the nearby courts.
Fire, riot and rebuilding
Newgate was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt. The Great Fire of London in 1666 gutted the prison, which was reconstructed in the years that followed, with work attributed to the era of Sir Christopher Wren. In June 1780 the rebuilt prison was stormed and burned during the Gordon Riots, when a mob freed prisoners and set the building ablaze. It was reconstructed once more to a design by the architect George Dance the Younger, producing the grim, fortress-like façade that came to symbolise the prison in the public imagination.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| c.1188 | Prison established at Newgate |
| 1666 | Destroyed in the Great Fire of London |
| 1780 | Burned during the Gordon Riots |
| 1783 | Public executions moved here from Tyburn |
| 1868 | Public executions ended; moved inside the prison |
| 1902 | Newgate closes |
| 1903–04 | Demolished; Old Bailey built on the site |
Executions at Newgate
From 1783, public hangings were transferred from the Tyburn gallows to the street outside Newgate, drawing large and often unruly crowds. These spectacles continued until 1868, when an Act of Parliament ended public executions and moved them within the prison walls. Over the years a great many people were put to death on that spot, and the prison became fixed in the public mind as a place of death as much as detention. The condemned were held in cells nearby and walked their final steps under the gaze of the crowd.
- “Newgate still stands.” It was demolished in the early 1900s; the Old Bailey now occupies much of the site.
- “Newgate was only an execution site.” It was a working prison for over 700 years, holding debtors and felons as well as the condemned.
- “Public hangings continued into the twentieth century.” Public executions ended in 1868; later executions took place inside the prison.
- “Newgate and the Old Bailey were the same thing.” The Old Bailey is the Central Criminal Court, built on and beside the former prison site.
Newgate in literature and memory
Few prisons have left such a cultural mark. Newgate appears throughout English literature, from the works of Daniel Defoe and Henry Fielding to Charles Dickens, who described its gloom in vivid detail. The “Newgate Calendar”, a popular catalogue of notorious crimes and criminals, spread its grim fame far beyond London. Today the prison survives mainly in books, museum collections and the street names around the Old Bailey.
Newgate’s legacy
Newgate’s appalling conditions helped drive the prison-reform movement, with campaigners such as Elizabeth Fry drawing public attention to the treatment of inmates, particularly women and children. The eventual closure of Newgate and the rise of purpose-built Victorian prisons marked a shift towards a more systematic, if still harsh, penal system. For other chapters of this history, see our guides to borstals and the 1990 Strangeways riot.
Frequently asked questions
When did Newgate Prison close?
It closed in 1902 and was demolished in 1903–04.
What is on the site of Newgate now?
The Central Criminal Court, known as the Old Bailey, occupies much of the former prison site.
How old was Newgate Prison?
A prison existed there from around 1188, so it served for more than 700 years.
Were people executed at Newgate?
Yes. Public executions took place outside the prison from 1783 until 1868, after which they were carried out inside the walls.
Can I visit Newgate Prison?
The prison no longer exists, but its history is explored in London museums, and the Old Bailey stands on the site.
Official and reference sources
For further reading see the London Museum and Historic UK.
