There was no place grimmer on this planet than Newgate Prison and as someone once wrote…“It was, almost from its beginning, an emblem of death and suffering… a legendary place, where the very stones were considered ‘deathlike’…it became associated with hell, and its smell permeated the streets and houses beside it.” Indeed if something is… Continue reading Touching a doorway to hell – the old door of Newgate Prison
Tag: Executions
The stained undershirt worn by King Charles I for his execution
Even though I work every day in London and surely spend more time walking its streets and alleys than anyone but the most enthusiastic police officer, I never really get to enjoy the attractions of London. I’m always busy. I see what things are coming months or even years in advance but always working so… Continue reading The stained undershirt worn by King Charles I for his execution
Smithfield Market on the moo-ve after 900 years
One of my favourite less-visited parts of London is the area known as Smithfield. Like many an ancient city in the Middle-East, India or elsewhere, London had and to an extent still has, districts that would specialise in certain produces such as gold, silver, fruit or meat. Smithfield has been a meat market for more… Continue reading Smithfield Market on the moo-ve after 900 years