Hexham Old Gaol

About Hexham Old Gaol

Hexham Old Gaol is recognised as England's oldest purpose-built prison, constructed in the 1330s using stone reclaimed from Roman ruins. Standing on Hallgate in the centre of Hexham, the building is a striking survival of medieval justice and a scheduled monument that has served the town for nearly seven centuries. Its history is closely bound up with the lawless era of the Border Reivers, whose feuding and raiding across the Anglo-Scottish frontier shaped the turbulent story of this part of Northumberland. The gaol is managed today as a museum by North East Museums.

Visitors descend through the building, including a glass lift, to explore its atmospheric medieval dungeon and displays interpreting the region's Border history and the workings of the old prison. The museum runs seasonal opening, with daily summer hours and reduced days at other times of year, and offers a shop, mailing list and supporter and volunteering opportunities. The gaol is entering a new chapter through a reimagining project intended to enhance the visitor experience while conserving one of the North East's most distinctive historic buildings.

Featured in These Guides

Blog posts and guides that feature Hexham Old Gaol.

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Built in 1333 from Roman stone, Hexham Old Gaol is the earliest recorded purpose-built prison in England — now an atmospheric museum.

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