The Old Cells

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The dungeons were rediscovered from an old plan in 1931.

Objects within the room

The following objects are located in this room:

Cell Doors Two inches thick, made of oak and reinforced with iron, these old cell doors have been dated to the late 16thc. A fascinating survival from a much harsher period in human history, these doors are a very tangible reminder of prison conditions, and, with their many sractings and markings, a very evocative link to the many people incarcerated behind them.

Manacles / Shackles These shackles, manacles and neck irons were once used on prisoners in the castle. Until late into the Victorian era the job of gaoler was one that paid no wage as we would understand it today. The office was purchased and then money was made from people unfortunate enough to find themselves prisoners. Chains would be removed on production of cash, and the more you could pay the better your conditions would become. Prisoners being moved from one gaol to another, or people being taken south in preparation for Transportation to Australia, were also manacled (irons used on the wrists) and sometimes also shackled (irons used on the ankles) or chained together at the neck, a very public display of the wages of crime.