Execution Sites From the Late 18th Century to Abolition in 1964

In the 18th century every county had a place of execution, normally at or near the county (Assize) town and often just outside the town on the west side. In some cases there were two places of execution in a county (see below). It is not always possible to be specific on the exact whereabouts of gallows at this time as executions tend to be reported as having been carried out “at the usual place” without actually specifying where that was. Some counties may have had permanent gallows – especially those with regular executions (e.g. Devon, Kent, Lancashire and Somerset) – others, with infrequent executions, would erect a gallows for each occasion, or in some cases use a portable gallows. Burnings at the stake would normally take place at the same location as hangings.  Executions could also be carried out at or near the crime scene if ordered by the judge in particularly heinous cases.

In London by 1783 the use of Tyburn as the principal place of execution ended, partially due to protests from residents and the fact that they were a cause of congestion. London & Middlesex executions were transferred to Newgate prison from which the procession to Tyburn had previously started out.
Other cities and towns followed suit and it became general policy to move executions from an open area near to the Assize town or city to a location at or near the County/City/Town Gaol (or other suitable building which housed cells for prisoners, e.g. Aylesbury County Hall or Durham Court House). These moves were finally completed in 1831 when Whitley Common ceased to be used and the final execution at Coventry (Mary Ball in 1849) took place in Cuckoo Lane, outside County Hall. By 1805 about a third of the shire jurisdictions had made this change.

By the end of the 18th century new county gaols were being constructed and this process continued into the early part of the 19th century until every county had one.  Executions now took place either on a gallows erected outside the walls or, more commonly on the flat roof of the prison gatehouse.  In all cases these gallows were either dismantled after use or drawn inside the prison yard.  These gallows were referred to as being of the “New Drop” pattern and typically had trap door(s). In the period 1836 – 1868 there were 350 executions in England & Wales, an average of 11 a year, so they were rare events in many counties. It should be noted that there was a major prison rebuilding programme in progress during 1840’s and 1850’s and in some cases the prison moved site and in other cases was rebuilt on the same site.

With the ending of public hangings in 1868 most prisons continued to use the existing gallows, set up in one of the yards or within a purpose built execution shed.  Bodmin, Derby, Exeter, Newgate and Warwick prisons, for example, had sheds whilst Durham and Gloucester had the gallows set up in a yard. These arrangements persisted into the early part of the 20th century, with a brick lined pit being constructed with the advent of the “long drop” method of hanging from around 1875. Many of the smaller prisons had very few executions and it was decided to construct purpose built execution suites in a few of the prisons serving larger population areas.  This works seems to have been largely undertaken during the First World War. By the second quarter of the 20th century the following prisons all had execution suites : Armley (Leeds), Bedford, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Dorchester, Durham, Gloucester, Winchester, Maidstone, Manchester, Liverpool, Leicester, Lincoln, London (Pentonville & Holloway), Oxford, Norwich, Shrewsbury, Swansea and Surrey (Wandsworth). Those prisons that did not have execution suites ceased to carry out hangings and all executions now took place at the prisons listed.

England.

Bedfordshire
Old place of execution	Bedford Gaol in public					Bedford Gaol in private
Bedford – Gallows Corner Bromham Road	First				01/08/1801	First	03/04/1871
Last used 22/03/1794	Last				31/03/1868	Last	04/04/1962
Berkshire
Old place of execution	County Gaol Reading in public					Reading Gaol in private
Reading – Earley Common	First				01/08/1795	First	12/03/1877
Last used 20/08/1791	Last				14/03/1862	Last	04/02/1913
Bristol City
Gallows Acre, at the top of St. Michael’s Hill, Bristol	New Gaol in public					Horfield prison in private
	First				13/04/1821	First	11/04/1889
Last used 26/04/1816	Last				20/04/1849	Last	17/12/1963
Buckinghamshire
Old place of execution	Aylesbury County Hall in public
Unknown site at Aylesbury	First				23/03/1810
Last used 21/03/1806	Last				28/03/1845
	County Gaol Aylesbury in public					Aylesbury prison in private
	First				24/03/1854	First	28/03/1870
	Last				05/08/1864	Last	10/05/1880
Cambridgeshire
Old place of execution	New County Gaol in public (on the same site)					New County Gaol in private
Cambridge – Castle Hill County Gaol	First				05/04/1817	First	28/06/1898
Last used 08/08/1812	Last				02/01/1864	Last	04/11/1913
Cambridge Town
						Borough Gaol in private
						First	14/12/1876
						Last	14/12/1876
Cheshire
Old place of execution Boughton near Chester Last used 09/05/1801	Chester City Gaol in public					Chester City Gaol in private
Chester North Gate Gaol	First				06/05/1809	First	07/04/1877
Last used 03/10/1801	Last				23/03/1866	Last	08/05/1883
						Knutsford Gaol in private
						First	22/02/1886
						Last	19/03/1912
Cornwall
Old place of execution	Bodmin Gaol in public					Bodmin Gaol in private
Bodmin Moor Last used 31/03/1815	First				12/08/1820	First	15/08/1878
Launceston Last used 02/04/1821	Last				18/08/1862	Last	20/07/1909
Coventry City
Old place of execution	City Gaol in public					City Gaol in private
Whitley Common	First				09/08/1849	N/A	N/A
Last used 11/08/1831	Last				09/08/1849
Cumberland
Old place of execution	Carlisle Gaol in public					Carlisle Gaol in private
Carlisle – Low Sands	First				18/09/1813	First	19/12/1876
Last used 21/11/1809	Last				15/03/1862	Last	22/03/1892
Derbyshire
Old place of execution	Derby Gaol (Friar Gate) in public					Derby Gaol (Vernon St.) in public
Derby – Nuns Green	First				10/04/1812	First	12/04/1833
Last used 03/04/1807	Last				08/04/1825	Last	11/04/1862
						Derby Gaol (Vernon St.) in private
						First	04/08/1873
						Last	16/07/1907
Devonshire
Old place of execution	County Gaol, Exeter in public					Exeter prison in private
Heavitree, near Exeter (County)	First				20/03/1795	First	11/10/1869
Last used 04/04/1794	Last				15/08/1866	Last	27/07/1928
Exeter City
Old place of execution
Magdalen Road  Exeter
Last used 13/11/1818
Dorset
Old place of execution	Dorchester Gaol in public					Dorchester Gaol in private
Dorchester – Amphitheatre	First				17/03/1794	First	12/08/1869
Last used 10/08/1792	Last				27/03/1863	Last	24/07/1941
Durham
Old place of execution	Durham Court House in public					Durham Gaol in private
Durham – Dryburn	First				17/08/1816	First	22/03/1869
Last used 12/08/1805	Last				16/03/1865	Last	17/12/1958
Essex
Old place of execution	Moulsham Gaol, Chelmsford in public					Springfield Gaol, Chelmsford in public
Chelmsford – Writtle Road till 17/08/1781.	First				07/03/1785	First	10/12/1827
	Last				28/07/1826	Last	26/01/1865
Another site near Chelmsford last used 05/08/1784						Springfield Gaol, in private
						First	24/04/1871
						Last	04/11/1914
Gloucestershire
Old place of execution	County Gaol, Gloucester in public					County Gaol, Gloucester in private
Over, near Gloucester	First				14/04/1792	First	08/01/1872
Last used 16/04/1790	Last				27/08/1864	Last	07/06/1939
Hampshire
Old place of execution	County Gaol, Winchester in public					County Gaol, Winchester in private
Winchester – Gallows Hill	First				24/03/1821	First	06/09/1869
Last used 08/03/1819	Last				24/12/1867	Last	17/12/1963
Herefordshire
Old place of execution	County Gaol, Hereford in public					County Gaol, Hereford in private
Hereford – Gallows Tumps,Last used 21/08/1789	First				06/08/1792	First	23/11/1885
St Olave’s St, Hereford for anexecution 02/04/1790	Last				05/04/1864	Last	15/12/1903
Hertfordshire
Old place of execution	Hertford Gaol in public					Hertford Gaol in private
Hertford – Gallows Hill, Ware Road, last used 19/03/1800	First				14/08/1816	First	10/04/1876
	Last				13/03/1839	Last	10/04/1876
Then field opposite Hertford Gaol						St. Albans in private
						First	26/11/1880
						Last	19/07/1899
Huntingdonshire
Old place of execution	County Gaol, in public					County Gaol, in private
Huntingdon Mill Common	First				04/04/1829	First	25/11/1878
Last used 01/09/1827	Last				04/04/1829	Last	25/11/1878
Kent
Old place of execution	County Gaol, Maidstone in public					County Gaol, Maidstone in private
Maidstone – Penenden Heath	First				01/08/1831	First	13/08/1868
Last used 24/12/1830	Last				30/04/1868	Last	08/04/1930
Lancashire
Old place of execution	Lancaster Castle (County Gaol) in public					Lancaster Castle (County Gaol) in private
Lancaster Moor	First				19/04/1800	First	16/08/1875
Last used 27/04/1799	Last				25/03/1865	Last	15/11/1910
	Salford Gaol in public					Manchester Strangeways prison in private
	First				25/08/1866	First	29/03/1869
	Last				04/04/1868	Last	13/08/1964
	Kirkdale Gaol, Liverpool in public					Kirkdale Gaol, Liverpool in private
	First				24/08/1835	First	10/01/1870
	Last				14/09/1867	Last	20/08/1891
						Walton Gaol, Liverpool in private
						First	14/03/1887
						Last	13/08/1964
Leicestershire
Old place of execution	Leicester House of Correction in public					Borough Gaol Highcross Leicester
Site unknown ?  (1)	First				06/09/1813	First	20/12/1876
Last used	Last				26/03/1832	Last	31/07/1877
	County Gaol, Leicester in public					County Gaol, Leicester in private
	First				20/04/1829	First	27/11/1877
	Last				25/07/1856	Last	17/11/1953
Lincolnshire
Old place of execution	Lincoln Castle Cobb Tower (County Gaol) in public					Lincoln Castle (County Gaol) in private
Lincoln Castle – near West Gate	First				15/03/1817	First	28/12/1868
Last used 01/04/1814	Last				05/08/1859	Last	26/03/1877
						County Gaol, Lincoln
						First	19/02/1883
						Last	27/01/1961
London & Middlesex
Old place of execution	Newgate prison in public					Newgate prison in private
Tyburn	First				09/12/1783	First	08/09/1868
Last used 07/11/1783	Last				26/05/1868	Last	06/05/1902
	Tower of London in private (20th century)					Pentonville prison in private
	First				06/11/1914	First	30/09/1902
	Last				14/08/1941	Last	06/07/1961
						Holloway prison in private
						First	03/02/1903
						Last	13/07/1955
Monmouthshire
Old place of execution		Monmouth Gaol in public				Usk Gaol in private
Monmouth, (precise site unknown)		First		24/03/1843		First	24/08/1874
Last used 06/04/1835		Last		23/08/1859		Last	23/03/1922
Norfolk
Old places of execution	Norwich Castle (County Gaol) in public					Norwich Castle (County Gaol) in private
Norwich – Castle Hill
Last used 12/04/1800
And Gallows Hill Thetford	First				15/08/1801	First	01/05/1876
Last used 10/04/1824	Last				26/08/1867	Last	13/12/1886
						Norwich prison in private
						First	12/07/1898
						Last	19/07/1951
Norwich City
Old place of execution		City Gaol in public				City Gaol in private
Norwich, Castle Ditch Meadows		First		17/08/1829		First	20/04/1869
Last used 24/08/1822		Last		17/08/1829		Last	20/04/1869
The City Gaol had two different locations – up to 1826 opposite the still-existing Guildhall in Gaol Street, then moving to St Giles Gates in Heigham, until closure in May 1878
Northamptonshire
Old place of execution	Northampton (County Gaol) in public					Northampton (County Gaol) in private
Northampton racecourse	First				19/03/1819	First	31/07/1871
Last used 27/03/1818	Last				16/03/1852	Last	30/03/1874
						Borough Gaol (later Northampton prison) in private
						First	12/11/1878
						Last	10/11/1914
Northumberland
Old places of execution	County Gaol, Morpeth in public					County Gaol, Morpeth in private
Morpeth – Fair Moor	First				18/03/1846	First	23/12/1875
Last used 20/03/1822	Last				17/03/1847	Last	28/03/1876
Newcastle West Gate						Newcastle prison in private
Last used 16/08/1805						First	16/11/1886
						Last	26/11/1919
Newcastle upon Tyne Town
Newcastle Town Moor	Newcastle Town gaol in public					Newcastle Town gaol in private
Last used 23/08/1844	First				24/08/1850	First	22/12/1875
	Last				14/03/1863	Last	22/12/1875
Nottinghamshire
Old place of execution Nottingham – Gallows Hill	County Gaol, Nottingham in public					Old County Gaol, Nottingham in private
On Mansfield Road	First				01/02/1832	First	21/11/1877
Last used 02/04/1827	Last				10/08/1864	Last	12/08/1878
	House of Correction Nottingham in public					House of Correction Nottingham (Borough Gaol) in private
	First				24/08/1831	First	13/02/1878
	Last				30/03/1836	Last	22/02/1887
						New County Gaol, Nottingham (Bagthorpe prison) in private
						First	15/08/1881
						Last	10/04/1928
Oxfordshire
Old place of execution	County Gaol, Oxford in public					County Gaol, Oxford in private
Oxford – Castle Green/ Castle Gateway	First				21/08/1797	First	18/03/1872
Last used 29/07/1793	Last				24/03/1863	Last	12/08/1952
Rutland
Old place of execution	County Gaol, Oakham in public					County Gaol, Oakham in private
Oakham – Mount Pleasant	First				05/04/1813	First	N/A
Last used 03/08/1801	Last				25/03/1833	Last	N/A
Shropshire
Old place of execution	County Gaol, Shrewsbury in public					County Gaol, Shrewsbury in private
Shrewsbury – Mere Heath	First				15/08/1795	First	26/07/1886
Last used 10/08/1793	Last				09/04/1868	Last	09/02/1961
Somerset
Old places of execution	County Gaol, Ilchester in public					New County Gaol Taunton in public
Ilchester – Gallows FieldLast used 11/09/1811	First				21/04/1813	First	04/09/1844
	Last				04/09/1839	Last	29/08/1867
Taunton Stone Gallows Last used 09/04/1810						County Gaol Taunton in private
						First	26/08/1872
						Last	25/02/1884
	Note : Shepton Mallet was also used for US Military executions during World War 2					Shepton Mallet prison in private
						First	13/03/1889
						Last	02/03/1926
Staffordshire
Old place of execution	County Gaol, Stafford in public					County Gaol, Stafford in private
Sandyford, near Stafford	First				05/08/1793	First	12/08/1872
Last used 06/04/1793	Last				07/08/1866	Last	10/03/1914
Suffolk
Old place of execution	County Gaol, Ipswich in public					County Gaol, Ipswich in private
Rushmere, near Ipswich	First				15/08/1795	First	03/12/1879
Last used 03/04/1793	Last				14/04/1863	Last	27/11/1924
Bury St. Edmunds Tayfen	Bury St Edmunds Gaol in public					Bury St Edmunds Gaol in private
(by North Gate)	First				23/04/1800	First	N/A
Last used 30/08/1797	Last				22/04/1851	Last	N/A
Surrey
Old place of execution	Horsemonger Lane gaol in public					Horsemonger Lane gaol in private
Kennington Common	First				04/04/1800	First	11/10/1870
Last used 05/08/1799	Last				15/10/1867	Last	14/08/1877
						Wandsworth prison in private
						First	08/10/1878
						Last	08/09/1961
Sussex
Old place of execution	County Gaol, Horsham in public
Horsham Common	First				24/08/1822
Last used 19/08/1820	Last				06/04/1844
	Lewes prison in public					Lewes prison in private
	First				16/12/1831	First	18/01/1869
	Last				10/04/1866	Last	28/07/1914
Warwickshire
Old place of execution	County Gaol, Warwick in public					County Gaol, Warwick in private
Warwick – Gallows Hill	First				unknown	First	07/01/1873
Last used unknown	Last				06/04/1863	Last	15/12/1908
	Birmingham Washwood Heath in public					Birmingham Winson Green prison in private
	First		??			First	17/03/1885
	Last		19/04/1802			Last	20/11/1962
Westmorland
Old place of execution	No further executions
Appleby – Gallows Hill
Last used 23/03/1829
Wiltshire
Old place of execution	Fisherton Anger Gaol in public					Devizes Goal in public
Fisherton Anger Salisbury	First				27/03/1798	First	20/04/1824
Last used 27/07/1796	Last				05/08/1834	Last	11/04/1860
	Wilton Goal Salisbury in public					Devizes Goal in private
	First				29/07/1823	First	30/01/1882
	Last				27/03/1855	Last	17/11/1903
Worcestershire
Old place of execution	County Gaol, Worcester in public					County Gaol, Worcester in private
Worcester – Red Hill	First				20/03/1812	First	12/08/1872
Last used 28/07/1809	Last				02/01/1863	Last	03/12/1919
Yorkshire
Old place of execution	York Castle Gaol in public					York Castle Gaol in private
York – Knavesmire racecourse	First				28/08/1802	First	18/08/1874
Last used 29/08/1801	Last				04/04/1868	Last	22/12/1896
	Armley prison, Leeds in public					Armley prison, Leeds in private
	First				10/09/1864	First	21/10/1875
	Last				10/09/1864	Last	29/06/1961
	Hull prison, Leeds in private					Wakefield prison in private
	First				25/03/1902	First	10/04/1906
	Last				19/12/1934	Last	29/12/1915

Wales.

Anglesey
Old place of execution	Beaumaris Gaol in public		Beaumaris Gaol in private
Beaumaris – Gallows Point	First	15/09/1830	First	N/A
Last used May 1786	Last	04/04/1862	Last	N/A
Breconshire
Old place of execution	Brecon Gaol in public		Brecon Gaol in private
Llanfais near Brecon	First	28/08/1789	First	N/A
Last used 10/09/1756	Last	23/04/1861	Last	N/A
Caernarvonshire
Old place of execution	Caernarfon Gaol in public		Caernarfon Gaol in private
Morfa Seiont, near Caernarfon	First	10/08/1853	First	03/08/1898
Last used 04/09/1822	Last	10/08/1853	Last	15/02/1910
Cardiganshire
Old place of execution	Cardigan Gaol in public		Cardigan Gaol in private
Banc-y-Warren, hill by Cardigan	First	13/10/1821	First	N/A
Last used 13/04/1792	Last	08/04/1822	Last	N/A
Carmarthenshire
Old place of execution	Carmarthen Gaol in public		Carmarthen Gaol in private
Pensarn, near Carmarthen	First	23/05/1818	First	13/03/1888
Last used 26/04/1817	Last	21/09/1829	Last	25/11/1904
Denbighshire
Old place of execution	Ruthin Gaol in public		Ruthin Gaol in private
Galltegfa, about 1 mile from Ruthin on road to Clocaenog	First	unknown	First	17/02/1903
Last used unknown	Last	15/04/1822	Last	17/02/1903
Flintshire
Old place of execution	Flint Gaol in public		Flint Gaol in private
Flint Marshes (site of future Gaol)	First	unknown	First	N/A
Last used unknown	Last	18/04/1840	Last	N/A
Glamorganshire
Old place of execution	Cardiff Gaol in public		Cardiff Gaol in private
Cardiff – Little Heath	First	13/08/1831	First	25/04/1876
Last used 18/04/1810	Last	25/07/1857	Last	03/09/1952
Stallingdown, Cowbridge	Swansea Gaol in public		Swansea Gaol in private
Last used 20/04/1787	First	20/03/1858	First	01/03/1886
	Last	12/04/1866	Last	06/05/1958
Merionethshire
Old place of execution	Dolgellau Gaol in public		Dolgellau Gaol in private
Cae-y-grogben, on hillsideoverlooking Dollgellau	First	17/04/1813	First	23/11/1877
Last used 02/04/1785	Last	06/05/1813	Last	23/11/1877
Montgomeryshire
Old place of execution	Montgomery Gaol in public		Montgomery Gaol in private
on hillside overlooking Montgomery	First	16/08/1830	First	N/A
Last used 13/09/1821	Last	16/08/1830	Last	N/A
Pembrokeshire
Old place of execution	Haverfordwest Gaol in public		Haverfordwest Gaol in private
Haverfordwest – Bowling Green	First	13/04/1811	First	N/A
Last used 06/04/1801	Last	23/04/1821	Last	N/A
Radnorshire
Old place of execution	Presteigne Gaol in public		Presteigne Gaol in private
Presteigne – Gallows Lane	First	22/04/1822	First	N/A
Last used 13/04/1805	Last	22/04/1822	Last	N/A

Notes

1) Leicestershire executions are recorded as taking place at Red Hill, Birstall in 1801, on Ashby Road in 1803; and at Dane Hills Tollgate in 1813. Either one of these may be the “usual site” or a “one-off site”.

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