The Bridewell
The Bridewell
A view into the Cells
Not much evidence remains of the bridewell and the cells that held the prisoners captive, but this photograph of one of the doorways at the back of the building does exist.
Redelopment
The houses that eventually were developed on the site of the old bridewell were certainly more comfortable than the cells they replaced.
Bridewell Corner
The original Bridewell was built in 1543 by Robert Marsham. The prison, which was used to house vagabonds and the disorderly, was later rebuilt in 1787 and finally closed in 1825
The Bridewell
Now a mixture of private houses, an insurance broker and a solicitors, this site was home to a pub and the Bridewell. The pub - called “The Bull” - was on the corner of Red Lion Street. In the 17th Century there was a bull pound on the other side of Oakfield Road, which is probably where the name came from. (A second Bull PH was later next door)
The building was converted into the town Gaol or Bridewell. It was a ‘house of correction’ for vagrants but became a prison for short-term sentences for minor offences, anti-social behaviour.
According to a report in 1812 prisoners had one hour in the morning to wash and clean themselves, a clean shirt once a week and clean sheets once a month. Yellow and brown striped clothing was provided by the county.
Its use as a prison ended in 1825 and it was converted into shops and houses.
Some crimes in the 17th century included:
• taking a spade from a yard
• a servant staying out all night dancing
• an apprentice running away from his master
Jess Perry
A resourceful and inventive artist who combines humour and idiosyncratic detail in her illustrated books, Gone to Ground, and It's a Thing...
Jessica has exhibited widely and has several large-scale public commissions on permanent display at the Norfolk & Norwich hospital.
Trained at Norwich School of Art (B.A. FineArt, Painting, 1985), she subsequently worked across East Anglia and London as a freelance artist and educator.
All historical images reproduced here courtesy of Aylsham Town Archive, a part of Aylsham Town Council
