At a glance
Beaumaris Gaol (LL58 8EP) is one of the best-preserved Victorian prisons in Britain — built 1829, with original cells, treadwheel and the only complete execution site in Wales. Adult admission ~£6.50. Open Easter–September; check Anglesey County Council website for hours. Combine with Beaumaris Castle (200 m) for a full Beaumaris day.
About Beaumaris Gaol
When Beaumaris Gaol opened in 1829, it represented the most modern thinking in penal reform: separate cells to prevent corruption between prisoners, forced labour on the treadwheel to enforce useful discipline, religious instruction to encourage penitence, and the silent system to prevent association. The building, designed by Joseph Hansom (who later gave his name to the Hansom cab), was regarded as a model of enlightened prison design.
Within half a century, the theory and the reality had diverged — Beaumaris was overcrowded, the treadwheel exhausted prisoners without productive purpose, and the silent system caused psychological damage. The gaol closed in 1878, its prisoners transferred to Caernarfon. What makes Beaumaris exceptional is that the building was then preserved rather than demolished, leaving one of the most complete Victorian prison environments in Britain intact for visitors.
The execution site is the element that most distinguishes Beaumaris. The last public execution — that of Richard Rowlands in 1862 — was watched by a crowd from the streets outside, and the gallows position, pit and mortuary are all preserved in the form they had on that day. The local legend attached to Rowlands' dying curse of the church clock — that it would never show the correct time on all four faces — continues to be cited by visitors who notice the clock's idiosyncracy.
Visiting tips
Getting there
Beaumaris is on the east Anglesey coast, accessible from Menai Bridge by the A545. Bus services run from Bangor and Menai Bridge. The gaol is on Steeple Lane (LL58 8EP), close to the castle. Parking in the town car parks.
Combining with the castle
Beaumaris Castle (Cadw, 200 m away) is the natural partner for a day in Beaumaris — the finest concentric castle in Britain paired with one of the finest Victorian prisons. Allow 3–4 hours for both. Several cafés in Beaumaris town for lunch.
Find it on the map
Frequently asked questions
Beaumaris Gaol preserves an extraordinary range of original Victorian prison features. Visitors can see the original cells (including solitary confinement and punishment cells), the treadwheel (an exhausting form of forced labour used as punishment), the exercise yard, the condemned cell, the execution site (gallows position and pit) and the mortuary. The combination is unique — nowhere else in Wales has all these elements of a Victorian prison intact and open to visitors.
Beaumaris Gaol contains the only complete and unaltered public execution site surviving in Wales. The last public execution here took place in 1862 — Richard Rowlands was hanged for the murder of his father-in-law, and allegedly cursed the church clock visible from the gallows so it would never show the correct time on all four faces simultaneously (the clock still does not). The execution site includes the pit beneath the gallows and has been preserved in its original form.
The gaol is suitable for older children (approximately 10+) who have an interest in history and can handle the subject matter of crime and punishment. The interpretation is historically accurate rather than sensationalist, and the treadwheel and cell environments give a strong sense of Victorian prison conditions. Younger children may find the subject matter distressing.
Yes — Beaumaris Castle is approximately 200 metres from the gaol and the two together give an exceptional Beaumaris heritage day. The castle (Cadw, admission applies) and the gaol (Anglesey County Council, admission applies) represent two very different periods of Beaumaris history — 13th-century medieval power and 19th-century social control — and together give a complete picture of the town's significance.
Beaumaris Gaol was built in 1829 to a design by Joseph Hansom (who later designed the Hansom cab). It was intended as a model prison incorporating the latest thinking in penal reform — solitary confinement, supervised labour and religious instruction were the key elements. It served as Anglesey's county gaol until 1878, when prisoners were transferred to Carnarvon (Caernarfon). The building was subsequently preserved and opened as a museum.