Dick Turpin’s York Gallows

Medieval York was a city where executions were part of daily life. It had four places of execution, the most famous being on Tyburn Hill. The first execution there took place in 1379, and the last in 1801. Strangely, both men hanged on those dates were soldiers named Edward, convicted of rape.

The execution site, known as Knavesmire Gallows, was one of the most terrifying in England. It saw hangings, drownings, quarterings (sometimes all at once), and even burnings at the stake.

One of its most infamous victims was the legendary highwayman Dick Turpin, whose biography was later romanticised. He was known as a murderer, poacher, and robber, but he was ultimately sentenced to death for horse theft. He was hanged in 1739 to the applause of gathered townspeople — many of whom attended simply for entertainment, much like people today go to horse races or football matches.

The Penal Mill and John Jones’ Escape

Many have heard of executions in the Tower of London and York, but Welsh prisons were just as grim. At Beaumaris Gaol on the Isle of Anglesey, prisoners were kept in chains in cramped, freezing cells. Even minor infractions could lead to flogging or up to three days in total darkness.

However, compared to other prisons of the time, conditions at Beaumaris Gaol were considered relatively humane. One of its unique features was a “penal treadmill” — a mill powered by prisoners, used to grind grain or pump water. In the 19th century, such treadmills were common in British and American prisons.

Another notorious prison was Ruthin Gaol in North Wales. Built in 1775 and later expanded in the style of Pentonville Prison in London, it housed one of Wales’ most infamous criminals: John Jones, known as Coch Bach y Bala (“The Redhead from Bala”). A thief, poacher, and repeat offender, he spent over thirty years in various prisons across North Wales and England.

Jones escaped from Ruthin Gaol twice. The first time, he simply walked out while the guards were having dinner. He was caught and returned to prison a month later. His second escape was more “traditional” — he dug a tunnel from his cell, fashioned a rope from bed sheets, climbed onto the roof, and scaled the prison wall. Seven days later, however, he was shot dead by a local resident attempting to capture him.

The Witch Executions of Lancaster

Lancaster Castle became the site of mass executions of so-called witches in the 17th century. In 1612, the infamous Pendle Witch Trials took place here, resulting in the execution of ten women. They were accused of murder through witchcraft, ruining crops, and conspiring against their neighbours — charges that almost always led to a death sentence at the time (only one of the accused was acquitted).

Six of the accused came from two rival families of folk healers. It is believed that they attracted public attention by accusing each other of witchcraft, but in the end, all of them ended up on trial. Their executions were carried out on Gallow Hill.

Tyburn Tree and Cromwell’s Head on the Roof

No discussion of executions would be complete without mentioning Tyburn, the infamous crossroads near Hyde Park, which served as an execution ground for 650 years. Here stood the notorious “Tyburn Tree” — a triangular wooden structure that could hang up to 24 people at once.

Tyburn drew spectators from all walks of life, from beggars to aristocrats. Justice in England was always a spectacle — so much so that good viewing spots were sold for a fee. The “Tree” witnessed thousands of executions.

One of its most famous cases was that of Oliver Cromwell, though he wasn’t actually hanged. Cromwell died of illness and was buried in Westminster Abbey. However, three years after the monarchy was restored, his body was exhumed, hanged, and beheaded. His severed head was displayed on the roof of Parliament for 23 years.

Ironically, public executions at Tyburn didn’t end because they were deemed too cruel. Rather, they were disrupting city traffic — processions of convicts, guards, and up to 200,000 spectators (about a third of London’s population in the early 18th century) clogged the streets.

Justice as a Spectacle

Britain abolished public executions in 1868, but their legacy remains — in the architecture of old prisons, in folklore and legends, and in macabre museum exhibits. The York gallows, the Lancaster trials, the Tyburn Tree — these places now evoke historical curiosity rather than fear.

Yet, the idea of execution as public entertainment has not entirely disappeared. The format has simply changed — from crime coverage in newspapers to sensational court cases followed by millions. Justice is no longer as bloody, but public fascination remains as insatiable as ever.