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The Great Britain Guide

Historic houses · North Wales

Ruthin Gaol

Also known as: Carchar Rhuthun

♿ Wheelchair: limited

Ruthin Gaol — a Grade II*-listed historic house in wales-north, United Kingdom.

Carchar Rhuthun, Sir Ddinbych - The Old Gaol, Rhuthun (tr. 'Ruthin'), Sir Ddinbych, Cymru (Wales) 03

Llywelyn2000 — CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
1 h–2 h
  • Family-friendly
  • Limited wheelchair access

About

Ruthin Gaol is a Grade II*-listed building in wales-north, United Kingdom. Grade II* status is conferred by Historic England (or Cadw, Historic Environment Scotland or NIEA equivalents) on buildings of exceptional national interest. See the linked Wikipedia article for full historical and architectural details.

Photo gallery

From the Wikipedia article

Ruthin Gaol (Welsh: Carchar Rhuthun) is a Pentonville style prison in Ruthin, Denbighshire. Ruthin Gaol ceased to be a prison in 1916 when the prisoners and guards were transferred to Shrewsbury Prison. The county council bought the buildings in 1926 and used part of them for offices, the county archives, and the town library. During the Second World War the prison buildings were used as a munitions factory, before being handed back to the county council, when it was the headquarters of the Denbighshire Library Service. In 2004 the gaol was extensively renovated and reopened as a museum.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

The first house of correction, or bridewell, was built at the bottom of Clwyd Street, next to the river, in 1654, to replace the Old Court House, where able-bodied idlers and the unemployed were sent to work. Following John Howard's investigations into prison conditions the Denbighshire justices resolved to build a new model prison in Ruthin on the site of the old Bridewell. Work began in January 1775. In 1802 the prison had four cells for prisoners and nine rooms for debtors. By 1837 it could hold 37 inmates. The Prison Act 1865 (28 & 29 Vict. c. 126) set new standards for the design of prisons as the Ruthin County Gaol did not meet the standards plans were drawn up for a new four-storey…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
53.1139, -3.3139
District
Denbighshire
Parish
Ruthin
Postcode
LL15 1HP
Parliamentary constituency
Clwyd East
Established
1654

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Ruthin Gaol?
Ruthin Gaol is in North Wales, United Kingdom (postcode LL15 1HP), in the parish of Ruthin.
When was Ruthin Gaol built?
Built or established in 1654.
Is Ruthin Gaol a listed building?
Ruthin Gaol is officially recognised as Grade II* listed.
How do I get to Ruthin Gaol?
Drivers can navigate to postcode LL15 1HP. It sits within the Clwyd East parliamentary constituency.