View a gallows gibbeting iron and try on a suit of armour at the Westgate Museum, housed within an ancient fortification. Have a go at brass rubbing and examine the walls to see graffiti left by convicts who were held at this old prison.
The museum is located in the city’s last remaining gatehouse, which defended one of the main streets in Winchester. It was used as a debtor’s prison from the 1500s to the 1700s and housed many criminals before they were sent to their deaths.
Arrive at the museum’s first floor and admire the beautiful decorated ceiling. This was designed by students at Winchester College and resembles traditional Tudor artwork. Note the portraits of several influential figures from the time. The décor becomes more sinister lower down the walls, which are adorned with graffiti scrawled by the inmates who were kept here. You’ll see that some inscribed their names while others counted down the days until their visit to the gallows.
Make your way between exhibitions to find artifacts from around the city and the prison itself. A set of weights and measures would have been used to count the debts of wrongdoers, while the gibbeting iron is a reminder of the grizzly end that many prisoners would have met.
Try on a selection of Tudor and Stuart costumes and get a sense of the life of an everyday civilian in Winchester hundreds of years ago. If you are feeling brave, step into the boots of a suit and armour and grab your sword to protect the city. Visitors of all ages can enjoy making a brass rubbing, while the quiz is the ideal way to add some extra excitement if you are visiting with children.
The Westgate Museum is on High Street in central Winchester. The museum is open daily between July and August, but only on weekends from March until October. Entry is free.
