York Castle Prison

For nearly 750 years, from the time of Henry II to the end of Queen Victoria's Reign, York Castle stood as the focal point of Crime and Punishment for Yorkshire. From witches to pirates, thieves to highwaymen, traitors to political prisoners, and debtors to murderers, they all came through the walls of York Castle.Changes to the law, methods of punishment, political factors, gender, and social status on the outside all blended together to determine the lives of the men and women held within