Hexham Old Gaol

Hexham Old Gaol

England's oldest purpose-built prison, with a glass lift down to the dungeon and hands-on exhibits on crime and punishment - a fun, quick stop rather than a full afternoon out.

Address:

Hallgate, Hexham, NE46 1XD
Call:
0191 277 2422

Hours:

Mon - Tue: Closed

Wed - Sun: 10am - 4pm

Map

Good to Know

Hexham Old Gaol was built in the 1330s and is England's oldest purpose-built prison. A glass lift takes you down to the dungeon, and the floors above tell the stories of crime and punishment, from Border Reivers to the town's later prisoners.

Why it's on our list: it's a fun, compact stop that's especially good with children, right in the centre of town.

Worth knowing: it's closed early in the week. Pair it with a coffee at The Garden Coffee House next door.

A Little Note From Heather & Sand

We haven't quite made it here ourselves yet, but it's on our list!

We're working our way around Northumberland, personally visiting and reviewing as many of the places featured in our Listed section as we can. It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it.

In the meantime, we do our homework. Before adding somewhere to Heather & Sand, we research it, look at what other visitors have to say and check that it has a good reputation. If the feedback isn't encouraging, it generally doesn't make our list.

Of course, a little online research is no substitute for muddy boots, a decent coffee and seeing somewhere for ourselves. So until we've visited, we'll leave the personal review to one side.

A little about us...

Heather & Sand is our little corner of Northumberland — a collection of places, stories, walks and discoveries from a county we love.

Through our Journal, Guide and Listed pages, we hope to help you discover somewhere new, revisit an old favourite or simply enjoy a little Northumberland from wherever you happen to be.

Tom, Lucy & the Heather & Sand crew.