The Clink was one of England’s first prisons dating back to 1144. Located in Southwark, London, it was one of 6 prisons in the area that was run by the Bishop of Winchester: becoming the second most powerful man in the country at that time.
It is also the specific prison where the nickname ‘to be thrown in the clink’ derives from although there is more than one theory behind the nickname.
The Clink is now a family-friendly museum that contains history rich facts and depictions of what the prison could have been like before its end in 1780 due to the Gordon riots.
The prison held a variety of inmates from debtors to heretics over its long running period of over 600 years as well as some of the first Pilgrim Fathers who settled in the United States.
The Clink experienced everything in its time from revolts, such as the Jack Cade rebellion in 1450, plagues such as the Black Death to countless wars such as the War of the Roses.
Southwark is London’s oldest borough and is the site where the Romans originally settled in order to construct a bridge across the Thames in AD43 eventually leading to the growth of Londinium.
Today the museum offers both a fun as well as an educational experience.
It is both children and adult friendly offering interesting involvement for all the family, so whether you’re going there to seek out facts or just looking for an activity to do in London why not try going to the Clink Prison Museum.
More information around timing and price can be found on the Clink Museum website at www.clink.co.uk.
