Newgate Prison: London’s Gateway to Hell

Newgate Prison was a synonym for hell. For over 700 years, it held London’s condemned, its debtors, its religious martyrs, and its common criminals. Conditions were so appalling that gaol fever (typhus) regularly killed prisoners, guards, and even visiting judges. When the prison was demolished in 1904, the Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey) rose on its site—but the ghosts of centuries of suffering cannot be so easily removed.

The History

Medieval Origins

A prison stood at Newgate since 1188, built into London’s city walls. It was repeatedly expanded, rebuilt, and condemned as unfit for human habitation.

Conditions

Newgate was infamous for its horrors:

• Prisoners died of starvation
• Typhus epidemics were constant
• The “Black Assize” of 1750 killed 40 people, including judges
• Prisoners paid for better conditions; the poorest died
• Mass graves beneath the prison

Executions

Public executions at Newgate drew vast crowds:

• Over 1,100 people hanged at the prison
• Burning, drawing and quartering also performed
• The execution site is now a road outside the Old Bailey
• The last execution was 1902

Notable Prisoners

Countless famous figures were held here:

• William Penn
• Daniel Defoe
• Captain Kidd
• Jack Sheppard (who escaped twice)
• Countless martyrs of all faiths

The Hauntings

The Black Dog of Newgate

London’s most famous prison ghost is a black dog:

• First recorded in 1596
• Said to be the spirit of a scholar murdered and eaten by starving prisoners
• It appeared before executions
• Its eyes glowed
• Seeing it meant death

The Condemned Cell Apparitions

Where prisoners awaited execution:

• Figures appear in chains
• Praying, weeping, screaming
• The night before hanging replays
• The terror is palpable
• The Old Bailey occupies this space now

Mass Haunting

The sheer number of deaths creates collective phenomena:

• Crowds of figures
• The murmur of many voices
• The stench of unwashed humanity
• Pressing, crowded sensations
• The living cannot breathe

Execution Echoes

The execution site outside:

• The sound of the crowd
• The trapdoor falling
• Prayers and curses
• Hanging bodies visible
• The entertainment of centuries

The Old Bailey Today

The court built on Newgate’s site:

• Staff report phenomena
• Cold spots in specific areas
• Figures in period dress
• Prisoners still awaiting justice
• The guilty and innocent together

Archaeological Evidence

Excavations have revealed:

• Mass graves beneath the streets
• Evidence of horrific conditions
• Personal belongings of prisoners
• The physical record matches the spectral activity

Modern Activity

The Old Bailey and surrounding streets are active:

• Court staff have countless stories
• Solicitors report experiences
• The Black Dog is still seen
• The weight of history is crushing
• Newgate’s dead have not been evicted

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Newgate Prison is gone, but its ghosts remain. For 700 years, it was London’s gateway to death. Thousands died within its walls; thousands more died at its gates. The Central Criminal Court now dispenses justice on the site—but the dead are still waiting for theirs.