Abandon all hope, ye who enter here – a guide to visiting the Clink Museum, London
If you love history and find yourself drawn to the more gruesome bits, then visiting the Clink Museum London is just for you.
The Clink was the prison whose name was so widely known it became a byword for jail. Whether the ‘clink’ refers to the jangling of keys or the noise of the chains restraining prisoners, the Clink was one of the most dreaded prisons in medieval England.
It was under the jurisdiction of the Bishops of Winchester, whose Palace was very close to the jail. The Clink Prison Museum takes you back to its darkest days, a Horrible Histories-style series of tableaux of torment and suffering as prisoners rotted away behind bars. The grisly figures are sometimes a little cartoonish, but they tell the story alright – life in the Clink was desperately grim.
In this guide I’ll show you what to expect when visiting the Clink Museum, and explain the practicalities of getting there and buying your tickets. I’ll also show you more places to visit in the surrounding area, Southwark, and suggest places to stay in the area. Enioy!
What To See At The Clink Museum
The Clink Museum is a series of tableaux – scenes of prisoners in various states of misery, languishing in dark, horribly grim conditions. The prisoners are waxwork figures, and the misery is often conveyed well.
Most prisoners in the Clink were incarcerated for what would now be considered low level offences. In medieval times debtors would be imprisoned, as was the case at the Clink.
Prisoners also included those found to be drunk and disorderly on the streets of Southwark. Such behaviour wasn’t uncommon, as some laws in this district of London – owned by the Bishops of Winchester and known at the time as the Liberty of the Clink – were considerably more relaxed than across the river in the City of London.
Prostitutes were also frequently imprisoned at the Clink, even though their presence was tolerated more than in the City of London.
Some of the exhibits in the Museum are a little misleading – particularly the heads on spikes. Prisoners would sometimes be tortured at the Clink, but not necessarily executed.
We liked the interactive parts of the exhibition, where children can pick up chains and other instruments of restraint and torture.
Life As A Prisoner In The Clink
Life in the Clink could be unremittingly grim, and also life-endangering. The prison did not feed its inmates – they were responsible for feeding themselves. Sometimes this entailed begging to passers-by through their window cells.
However, if you had funds available, life could be easier. The gaolers were paid a meagre wage, so supplemented their income by allowing privileges in return for payment. This could be food (at an inflated rate), bedding, lighting (with candles) and even having your leg irons removed.
Religious Dissenters In The Clink
So-called ‘heretics’ were also imprisoned in the Clink – this is partly because it was under the ultimate control of the Bishops of Winchester. These included Catholics priests incarcerated during the reign of Elizabeth I, between 1558 and 1603.
Jesuit priest John Gerard was one of those imprisoned at the Clink (he was also later confined in the Tower of London, just across the river). He was tortured for his beliefs, hung up by his hands for long periods, sustaining serious injuries as a result.
He was able to meet and confer with fellow Catholic prisoners at the Clink (where he is believed to have been held between 1594 and 1597). He was later transferred to the Tower of London, from which he escaped, eventually fleeing abroad and living out his last years in a seminary in Rome.
Is The Clink Prison Museum London Suitable For Kids?
We weren’t sure what to expect when we visited, particularly when we had a 5-year-old in tow. He was already into Horrible Histories – both the books and TV shows – at the time so we got it right. He also wants to be a vet, so isn’t squeamish. The exhibits are static, so there were no scary sudden movements, which may have frightened him. So we made the right call in taking him there.
However, many older kids would find elements of the Clink Museum scary. The environment is dark, which is upsetting for some. Some of the figures are also grisly and gory, which some would find very frightening. This is why I’ve included numerous images – so you can judge for yourselves.
Ultimately it’s up to each parent – so if they find this sort of thing upsetting, I recommend staying away.
What We Thought Of The Clink Prison Museum London
If I had visited the Clink Museum on my own, I probably wouldn’t have rated it as well I as I do having visited as a Dad with my son.
I quite like the tableau approach to telling stories, and have seen it in museums all over the continent. The gory aspect of it isn’t for everyone, but for us it made the story come alive. This was a seriously grotty, downright horrible sewer of a place, and they’ve done a rather a good job of recreating it. If you’re a Horrible Histories fan like my son and I there’s a good chance you’d love it.
Had I visited solo, I would probably rated it 6 or 7/10.
Visiting as a Dad, I’d give it 8/10, and we’d go back again.
Where Is The Clink Museum In London
The Museum’s address is Clink Street, London, SE1 9DG. It’s on the border between Southwark and Bankside, a minute’s walk from the Golden Hinde Ship Museum (to the east, if you’re approaching from London Bridge or Borough Market).
If approaching from the west (Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe) it’s a minute’s walk beyond the Anchor Inn, just after the railway bridge.
How To Get To The Clink Prison Museum
The Clink Museum is easily reachable by Train, Tube or bus, followed by a short walk.
By train or Tube, head for London Bridge station. Cross Borough High Street, heading for Borough Market or Southwark Cathedral. Continue along Cathedral Street, passing the Golden Hinde, and the Clink Museum is around 100 yards further along on your left.
You can also catch the bus to London Bridge, alighting at London Bridge stop Y if travelling from across the river, on buses 21, 35, 47 or 133. If you’re coming from the south, up Borough High Street, alight at stop M, across the street from stop Y. Again, head for Borough Market or Southwark Cathedral. There is also a short cut behind the Cathedral via Montague Close. Again, turn onto Cathedral Street and follow directions as above.
The nearest bus stop to the Clink Museum is the Shakespeare’s Globe stop on Southwark Bridge Road, The 344 service stops there.
Clink Museum Tickets and Tours
You can book your tickets through the Clink Museum website. Adult tickets cost £10, children and concessions £8 each. A family of two adults and two children pays £29.
Alternatively, entry to the Clink Museum is included at the conclusion of this Harry Potter walking tour of London. It begins at Platform 9 ¾ at King’s Cross station, includes film locations and ends at the Clink, the inspiration for the wizards’ and witches’ prison of Azkaban.
Things To See Near The Clink Museum
There are a whole range of things to do in Southwark, the area around the Clink Museum.
If you’re visiting London with kids, visiting the Golden Hinde makes a good pairing with the Clink. It’s only a minute’s walk away, and the replica of Sir Francis Drake’s ship is a great place to explore, with ladders down to lower decks with low ceilings (I practically had to crawl around) give a real sense of adventure. Drake’s original ship was used for state-supported piracy, relieving Spanish ships of their treasures, so it’s not difficult to get the kids excited about it.
Southwark Cathedral is also very close by. It’s often overlooked by time-poor visitors, but well worth half an hour of your time. It’s one of the finest Gothic churches in London, partly rebuilt in the 19th century, but worth seeing for the superb altarpiece, one of the most beautiful in England, and a stunning colourful 15th-century tomb.
Borough Market, next door to the cathedral, is the main draw in the area, a foodies’ paradise with over a hundred stalls. You could easily spend a few hours there. It’s open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm, with 9.00 am opening on Saturday and 4.00 pm closing time on Sunday.
Across Borough High Street from the Market, The Shard is the tallest building in the UK, at over 1,000 feet. One of the most famous London landmarks, it’s also an amazing viewpoint, looking down over the metropolis and as far as 40 miles (60 km) on a clear day. The viewing gallery is on the 68th, 69th (Indoor) and 72nd (outdoor) floors, and you can book your View from the Shard tickets here. Bear in mind that sunset is the most popular time, so you’ll often have to book ahead for it.
Between London Bridge and Tower Bridge, visiting HMS Belfast also makes a great few hours out, with or without kids. The warship saw service from the early stages of World War 2 to 1963, including time supporting the Allied Arctic supply convoys to Murmansk in northern Russia, and later the 1944 D-Day landings in Normandy. The outer decks give astonishing views of the surrounding part of London, including Tower Bridge, the Shard and the skyscrapers of the City of London. And the lower decks are fascinating, the cramped sailors’ quarters sometimes coming to life with bursts of the sort of noise they would have heard while sailing. Along with the Churchill War Rooms, it’s one of the best World War 2 sites in London.
Also in the shadow of the Shard, you’ll find one of the best small museums in London. Visiting the Old Operating Theatre and Herb Garret is a delight for history lovers and anyone with any interest in medicine and medical history. The Theatre was closed, stripped out, boarded up and forgotten in 1862, and then rediscovered in 1956.
It has been meticulously restored with furniture from other old theatres, but this is the only early 19th century operating theatre in the world. The adjacent Herb Garret is fascinating, full of tinctures, chemical compounds and even poisons – and it gives you an insight into how limited medical knowledge was 200 years ago.
Hotels Near The Clink Museum London
**** – London Bridge Hotel – stylish Georgian style hotel a few steps from The Shard
**** – The Hoxton, Southwark – great central location on Blackfriars Road, with rooftop restaurant with superb views
*** – ibis Styles London Southwark – one of the best ibis hotels in London, a few minutes ‘walk from Shakespeare’s Globe and The Clink
*** – City London Hotel – good mid-range option near Elephant and Castle Tube
Visiting The Clink Museum London – Final Thoughts
I hope you’ve found this guide helpful, particularly in relation to whether or not it’s suitable to visit with your kids.
I used to live in London and have visited the city countless times, so have written extensively about it. Here is a selection of London articles which I hope will provide you with further inspiration:
16 Famous Statues In London Not To Miss
34 Famous Streets In London To Explore
16 Old Streets In London – London’s Oldest Streets
25 Most Beautiful Churches in London To Visit
12 Fascinating World War 2 Sites In London To Visit
Visiting The Churchill War Rooms London
Where To Find The Best Red Telephone Boxes In London
Visiting Westminster Abbey – London’s Astounding Royal Church
15 Best Things To Do In West London
Marc Bolan Shrine London – the shrine to the late, great T Rex singer
Visiting the London Museum of Water and Steam – outstanding industrial history, brilliantly presented for kids
Sunrise In London – 10 Best Places To See It
Sunsets In London – The Best 20 Locations