Beaumaris Gaol

Isle of Anglesey (Ynys Môn)


This grim, stout-walled jail, built in the early 19th century and largely unaltered since, was modern for its time, with toilets in every cell and a treadmill water pump. However, that's not enough to dispel the gloom of the windowless punishment cell, the cell where condemned prisoners awaited their demise at the gibbet, or the stone-breaking yard where inmates were subjected to hard labour. Since it closed as a jail it's been used as a children's clinic (cheery!) and a police station.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Isle of Anglesey (Ynys Môn) attractions

1. Beaumaris Castle

0.25 MILES

Beaumaris is the last and most technically perfect of the ring of great castles built by Edward I of England to consolidate his Welsh conquests. Started…

2. Garth Pier

2.14 MILES

Given the large expanse of tidal mudflats here (a paradise for wading birds), it's surprising that the Victorians chose this site to build Britain's ninth…

3. Penrhyn Castle

2.58 MILES

Funded by the vast profits from the slate mine of Caribbean sugar-plantation owner and anti-abolitionist Baron Penrhyn, and extended and embellished by…

4. Clock Tower

2.78 MILES

This listed Victorian clock tower is Bangor's central point.

5. Storiel

2.86 MILES

The title 'Storiel', a portmanteau of the Welsh words for 'story' and 'gallery', signals the combined historical and artistic focus of this well-curated…

6. Bangor Cathedral

2.89 MILES

More formally known as the Cathedral Church of St Deiniol, this building occupies one of the oldest ecclesiastical sites in Britain, dating from AD 525,…

7. Penmon Priory

3.33 MILES

After the tearoom pleasantness of Beaumaris, Penmon, 4 miles north, provides a glimpse of Anglesey's long spiritual significance. An early Celtic…

8. Plas Newydd

6.41 MILES

Plas Newydd (New House) was the grand manor of the marquesses of Anglesey. Surrounded by tranquil gardens and pastures, with fine prospects across the…