Interested in alternative London but tired of recreations and reenactments? The Clink Prison is centrally located in Southwark but far from a recreation. Now a museum, it sits in the same place where the prison opened and operated for more than 600 years! A notorious medieval prison, The Clink was so iconic that the name has become slang as a generic term for prison or a jail cell.
The Clink Prison dates back to 1144 making it one of England’s oldest and most notorious prisons. Converted into a museum, The Clink aims to recreate some of the conditions suffered by the prisoners, and scandalous truth of their experiences through hands-on education. There are opportunities to view archaeological artifacts, wander the windowless halls, jail cells, and even play with some of the torture devices. Lining the walls of this creepy attraction are plaques you can read about some of it’s more notable and infamous residents and jailers. Both interactive and educational, the Clink Prison offers four different kinds of tours to its visitors It’s most popular being the guided tour which runs multiple times a day.
Patrons can choose whether they would like a tour guide, or to partake in a self guided tour. For Students, The Clink advertises an in depth look for any young scholar looking to expand their knowledge of the time period between 1144 – 1780AD. “The museum gives a wonderful understanding of crime and punishment through the Medieval, Tudor and Elizabethan time periods, along with a comprehensive study of a number of the social, religious and geographic issues.” A particular area of interest at the museum is also religious studies. The Clink Prison was built on the Bishop of Winchester’s and was under the control of the bishop instead of any monarchs reigning at the time. Some of the longest serving and most notable inmates were Catholic religious figures including some involved in the Babington plot and The Gunpowder Plot.
The Clink Prison also has an option for a “gangster tour” which focuses not only on some of the bandits imprisoned, but also on the racketeering prison guards who would accept money from inmates families in exchange for better accommodation, food, and other treatments.
The final and arguably the most terrifying tour option The Clink offers is the “Ghost Tour” where guests are locked in the allegedly haunted hot spot, and participate in Vigils & Séances through the night, Ouija Boards, Glass Divination and a number of other methods to try and make contact with the assorted tortured souls that were once imprisoned behind The Clinks walls.
Regardless of which tour you choose, The Clink is guaranteed to be an informative and chilling experience for your whole party.
To book a tour to The Clink Prison click here!