The Clink Prison Museum

The Clink Prison Museum stands on the site of one of the oldest and most notorious jails in England. Established in the twelfth century, the original prison was not under the control of the King or Queen but was instead the private holding facility of the Bishop of Winchester. Because the Bishop governed the surrounding area, known as the Liberty of the Clink, he held the power to arrest anyone who broke his rules or failed to pay their debts. The name of the prison eventually became a common slang term for any jail, a legacy that persists in everyday language to this day.