York Castle Prison
The Story of York Castle Prison
York Castle has been a site of justice and incarceration for almost 1,000 years.
William the Conqueror built the first castle here in 1068 as a base to control the North of England – and we know from written references that it had a prison.
The Castle is still a seat of justice today; the 18th century Courthouse is now York Crown Court. It still has holding cells and people accused of serious crimes are still tried there, as they have been for almost 1,000 years.