Cardiff Gaol
Encyclopedia
Cardiff Gaol was a prison
located on St. Marys Street
, Cardiff
, Wales
.
. Whilst the court moved within the castle walls, the gaol was always located within the Black Tower. After the Town Hall was built in the High Street in 1331, its main space included a court room, which resulted in the construction of a holding gaol in the basement.
were located on the site of the current St. Mary Street
entrance to Cardiff Market, where Dic Penderyn
was hanged on August 13, 1831.
By 1814, the gaol was deemed insufficient, and after lands were secured south of Crockherbtown, construction took place, with the new Cardiff Prison opening at the end of 1832. This prison took over the county jail duties, but the gaol continued as the town jail. After the Home Office
took over responsibility for corrections in the Prisons Act 1877, the prison was expanded and the gaol finally closed.
After demolition, the site became the new location of Cardiff Market
.
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
located on St. Marys Street
St. Mary Street/High Street
St. Mary Street and High Street are major commercial streets in the Castle Quarter of Cardiff city centre, Wales, which form a major north–south thoroughfare in the centre. High Street begins at the junction of Castle Street on the A4161 and ends at the junction of Church Street and Quay Street,...
, Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
Background
Cardiff's original court and gaol were loacted within the walls of Cardiff CastleCardiff Castle
Cardiff Castle is a medieval castle and Victorian architecture Gothic revival mansion, transformed from a Norman keep erected over a Roman fort in the Castle Quarter of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The Castle is a Grade I Listed Building.-The Roman fort:...
. Whilst the court moved within the castle walls, the gaol was always located within the Black Tower. After the Town Hall was built in the High Street in 1331, its main space included a court room, which resulted in the construction of a holding gaol in the basement.
Operations
A new gaol was established in Cardiff in the 16th century, occupying a site on the High Street. In 1770, improvements and expansions were undertaken. The gallowsGallows
A gallows is a frame, typically wooden, used for execution by hanging, or by means to torture before execution, as was used when being hanged, drawn and quartered...
were located on the site of the current St. Mary Street
St. Mary Street/High Street
St. Mary Street and High Street are major commercial streets in the Castle Quarter of Cardiff city centre, Wales, which form a major north–south thoroughfare in the centre. High Street begins at the junction of Castle Street on the A4161 and ends at the junction of Church Street and Quay Street,...
entrance to Cardiff Market, where Dic Penderyn
Dic Penderyn
Richard Lewis, better known as Dic Penderyn , was a Welsh labourer and coal miner who was involved with the Merthyr Rising of June 3, 1831. In the course of the riot he was arrested alongside Lewis Lewis, one of the primary figures in the uprising, and charged with stabbing a soldier with a bayonet...
was hanged on August 13, 1831.
By 1814, the gaol was deemed insufficient, and after lands were secured south of Crockherbtown, construction took place, with the new Cardiff Prison opening at the end of 1832. This prison took over the county jail duties, but the gaol continued as the town jail. After the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
took over responsibility for corrections in the Prisons Act 1877, the prison was expanded and the gaol finally closed.
After demolition, the site became the new location of Cardiff Market
Cardiff Market
Cardiff Market , also known as Cardiff Central Market , is a Victorian indoor market in the Castle Quarter of Cardiff city centre, capital city of Wales.Originally the site of Cardiff gaol, the gallows were located on the site of the current St...
.