The Clink of coins... (The Clink Prison Museum (London))

Name: caro

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Product:	The Clink Prison Museum (London)
Date:	17.12.01 (357 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Plenty of interesting information, in an historic and fascinating area of London

Disadvantages: Expensive, doesn't match up to its advertising

The Clink suffers from an identity crisis. Is it a small, serious museum, or a busy tourist attraction? My visit suggested that the answer is a bit of both, but with neither succeeding terribly well.

The museum is near London Bridge, between Southwark Cathedral and Vinopolis. On your way, note Winchester Palace (or rather, the few remnants of the palace) as its history is closely linked to that of the museum.

THE HISTORY
The museum is more or less on the site of the original Clink prison, the gaol of the Bishop of Winchester who controlled brothels and other activities in the then notorious area.

The prison existed from the thirteenth century, and contained a range of prisoners, particularly prostitutes and debtors. Prostitutes were there not for prostitution itself, but for breaking the rules of the brothels, which the bishop controlled. Each prisoner had to pay for their own keep, and even for their fetters to be fitted and (on release) removed. Those without money depended on what they could beg through a grating.

According to the museum, torture was carried out in the prison, mainly to obtain confessions. Some of the equipment is on display, although with little accompanying explanation.

The building continued as a prison until it was destroyed in 1780.

THE MUSEUM

You walk down to the ticket hall before pasing into the museum, which is in an appropriately dark and windowless basement.

Admission is expensive, around £4 for an adult, which creates expectations the museum does not meet. Had it cost a pound or two, the experience would have been less unsatisfying. A booklet is available, but don't expect it to be a guidebook. Instead, it's a history of the prison with a few black and white illustrations: I found it interesting, and good value for a pound, but probably far from what most visitors expect.

Once inside, there are models recreating vario
us aspects of life in the prison, beginning with the fitting of shackles to prisoners (for which they had to pay themselves). These are not brilliant, have no moving parts, and seem a little dusty in places. Frankly, their power to entertain children will be limited, so don't expect to have much time for reading the displays.

That is important, because most of the information is in the form of display boards. These have been well-researched, but again are not gripping for the person lured in by promises of blood and gore displayed outside. Many are quotations from contemporary sources.

A few souvenirs are available, but they are not in a shop as such so choosing them is difficult and they are uninspiring. There also seemed to be some kind of facility for refreshments, although none were available when I visited.

This review feels very negative, but in fact the museum is not awful. What is a problem is that the advertising, the signage, and above all the price suggest that this is similar to the London Dungeon. In fact, in size and approach, it is very different.

If you are not with young children, and you have a genuine interest in the history of London or of criminal law, then the museum is interesting. It has plenty of information and interpretation, interspersed with models and engravings. There are even recorded commentaries in some rooms giving stories of individual prisoners.

Children who are interested in the topic, perhaps for a school project, will also gain a lot from the museum. However, don't be fooled into thinking that it's the kind of multimedia experience that keeps bored youngsters effortlessly entertained!

A minor but significant point is that the museum has plenty of opportunities to sit down. This is always something I appreciate, and particularly so here as I had reached London Bridge after a long walk along the riverbank.

Finally, do visit the website
at www.clink.co.uk - it's a well-designed and interesting introduction to the museum.

Summary: