Castle Museum - York
The Castle museum is steeped in history being built on the site of York Castle, adjacent to Clifford’s Tower and the Law Courts. The museum is housed in what was the prison buildings, which were built on the site of the Castle in the 18th century, the debtor’s prison built in 1701 using the stone from the ruins of the castle and the female prison which was built in 1780. The space now occupied by Kirkgate was actually the exercise yard for the female prisoners and open to the elements, it would have been a cold and draughty place.
It was the North Yorkshire physician and amateur archaeologist Dr John Lamplugh Kirk, who established the museum in the old Female Prison in 1938 after it had been bought by the York Corporation in 1934. He had been advertising for sites to house his vast array of artifacts relating to social history and after some modification the museum was established. A major attraction of this new museum was the recreation of a late Victorian street, named 'Kirkgate’ after Dr Kirk its founder, which at the time was the first of its kind in this country.
Around the back of Kirkgate is Rowntree Snicket, which houses the Poor Dwelling and the candlemaker’s, undertakers and other small enterprises. Unpleasant and dangerous businesses existed side-by-side. It was quite a reality check imagining what life must have been like, large families, none of the amenities which we take for granted these days, central heating, electric, running water and toilet/washing facilities etc.
There is so much to see at the Museum including the Period Rooms dating back to the Stuart period as well as the Georgian and Victorian Rooms and the 1980’s room. The first floor is well worth a visit to read and see the WW1 exhibition. On a lighter note, the Sixties exhibition is everything I remember as a young teenager and finally the actual Prison rooms bring you back down to earth.
There is a very pleasant café and gift shop to remind you of your visit.
The Museum is open Monday 11.00am – 5.00pm, Tuesday – Sunday 10.00am – 5.00pm.
Please click on the image below to expand the gallery of photographs.
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