York Castle Museum
York Castle Museum tells the story of everyday life over the past few centuries, housed in two former prisons just south of Clifford's Tower. Opened in 1938, it is best known for Kirkgate, a recreated Victorian street, and for the cells where you can see the condemned cell possibly once occupied by Dick Turpin.
Photos
Marianne Koppenaal
Inside two old prisons
The museum fills the Debtors' Prison, built in 1701–05, and the Female Prison of 1780–83, both within the bailey of York's medieval castle. Its founder was Dr John Kirk, a physician who collected everyday objects, and his collection still shapes the museum. York Museums Trust runs it today.
What to see
Kirkgate, the Victorian street with its shopfronts and cobbles, is the highlight for most visitors and was redeveloped in 2012. The Cells display explores prison life, and Half Moon Court recreates an Edwardian street. Other galleries cover toys and childhood, the 1960s, the First World War and period rooms, so there is plenty for mixed-age groups. The recreated period rooms show how York homes changed over the centuries, and the 1914 gallery tells the story of the First World War through the lives of local people.
Planning your visit
Allow at least two hours. It pairs naturally with Clifford's Tower next door, which you can climb for views across the city. Fishergate Postern Tower, a surviving piece of the city walls, is a short walk away. The museum is a good rainy-day choice as most of it is indoors.
Highlights
- Housed in two 18th-century prison buildings
- Kirkgate, a recreated Victorian street
- Prison cells including the condemned cell linked to Dick Turpin
- Galleries on toys, the 1960s and the First World War
- Next to Clifford's Tower
Good to know
- Allow two to three hours to see it properly.
- Clifford's Tower is directly next door.
- Most of the museum is indoors, making it a good wet-weather option.
Frequently asked questions
Nearby
Sources: en.wikipedia.org