York’s Dark Past: Crime, punishment and justice

Credit: flickr.com/Historyworks

• Saturday 9 June 2018, 8.45AM to 4.30pm
• Free admission
  Booking required
  Book tickets
• York Castle Museum, Walmgate Bar and King's Manor, York city centre (map)
• Wheelchair accessible

Event details

Delve into York’s dark past as we investigate the city’s hidden secrets and reveal the history of crime, justice and punishment. Take a tour of the Debtors’ Prison at York Castle Museum or join us for a guided crime walk. Of if you prefer to take things at your own pace, be among the first to try out a new self-guided podcast walking tour.

Brought to you by the York Crime Walk project, these events are an opportunity to immerse yourself in an intriguing aspect of the city’s history and to discover surprising new stories about familiar buildings and landmarks. Booking required for all events.

The Hidden History of the Debtors’ Prison

8.45am to 9.15am

York Castle Museum, Eye of York

Take an early morning tour of the Debtors’ Prison with York Castle Museum curator M Faye Prior before the museum opens its doors for the day. Spot the hidden features of the prison, and learn what life was like for the people who lived, worked and died there. Wheelchair access: Please note that while the Prison Exhibition is on the ground floor, some of the original doorways are very narrow.

Guided York Crime Walks

11am to 12.30pm and 1pm to 2.30pm

Meet at Walmgate Bar

Join criminologists from the University of York for a guided walking tour with a difference. View buildings, landmarks, people and places in a new light as you immerse yourself in the city’s history of crime, justice and punishment.

York Crime Walk Launch

3.30pm to 4.30pm

King’s Manor, Exhibition Square

Join us for the launch of York Crime Walk and its new website, and meet the team behind it from the University of York, York Castle Museum and the York Archaeological Trust. Hear a talk about the York Crime Walk project, join in with the Q&As and experience an exhibition of archaeological artefacts telling the story of the Walmgate Bar area. Next, collect a map, download a podcast and be among the first to enjoy a self-guided crime walk.

Tickets