Clerkenwell Bridewell

The Clerkenwell Bridewell first opened its doors in sixteen sixteen to serve as a house of correction for the Middlesex area. It was built to hold petty offenders, vagrants, and those considered idle by the authorities. Because the City of London already operated a famous prison of the same name, this institution was often referred to as the New Prison. It functioned as an overflow facility for the city's crowded jails, creating a complex web of detention sites on this specific patch of ground for nearly three centuries.