The New Gaol (also sometimes known as The Old City Gaol) is in

Cumberland Road The National Road (also known as the Cumberland Road) was the first major improved highway in the United States built by the federal government. Built between 1811 and 1837, the road connected the Potomac and Ohio Rivers and was a main tran ...

, Spike Island,

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, near

Bristol Harbour Bristol Harbour is the harbour in the city of Bristol, England. The harbour covers an area of . It is the former natural tidal river Avon through the city but was made into its current form in 1809 when the tide was prevented from going out per ...

History

The original New Gaol was designed by

Henry Hake Seward Henry Hake Seward (c.1778 - 19 January 1848) was an English architect who practised in the early 19th century. Seward was a pupil of Sir John Soane from May 1794 to September 1808. He was house architect (and later, c. 1823, Surveyor) to the Gr ...

and opened in 1820. In 1831, it was destroyed during the

Bristol Riots The Bristol riots refer to a number of significant riots in the city of Bristol in England. Bristol Bridge riot, 1793 In 1794 the populace of Bristol were said to be "apt to collect in mobs on the slightest occasions; but have been seldom so spi ...

and was rebuilt to designs by

Richard Shackleton Pope Richard Shackleton Pope (c. 1793 – 10 February 1884) was a British architect working mainly in Bristol. His father was a clerk of works for Sir Robert Smirke, and Pope succeeded him, also working for C.R. Cockerell. He moved to Bristol to ...

, but was never properly completed until 1872. The gaol was closed in 1883 due to poor conditions and was largely demolished in 1898. In 1884,

Horfield Prison HMP Bristol (previously known as Horfield Prison) is a Category B men's prison, located in the Horfield area of Bristol. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service. History The prison was built in 1883. The B and C wings were adde ...

was built to replace it. In 1821, three days after his eighteenth birthday,

John Horwood John Horwood (1803 – 13 April 1821) was a miner's son convicted of murder in Bristol, England, and executed in 1821. He was the first person to be hanged at Bristol New Gaol. Life John Horwood was born in Hanham, the fifth son of Thomas and ...

was the first person to be hanged at the Gaol for murdering Eliza Balsum by hurling a pebble at her which hit her on the right temple and she then tumbled into a brook.

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses. The charity states that i ...

designated The Gaol entrance wall and gateway and the south-east perimeter wall as a

Grade II listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

. It is now the centre-piece of a redevelopment project in this area of the city.

References

{{reflist Grade II listed buildings in Bristol Government buildings completed in 1832 Infrastructure completed in 1832 Buildings and structures demolished in 1898 Bristol Harbourside Prisons in Bristol Demolished prisons Defunct prisons in England

History

Archives

See also

References