Within the walls of Lincoln Castle is a restored Victorian prison, designed to keep prisoners separate from each other to avoid corrupting influences and to encourage repentance and reformation. It has the only remaining 'separate system' chapel, built with individual enclosed stalls so that prisoners could only see the chaplain and not their fellow prisoners. The interpretation is excellent and very educational. Children can dress up as prisoners or staff members and there are interactive touch screen displays and lots of stories about the people who were held there, some children as young as eight. Fascinating.
I remember visiting the 'separation chapel' years ago, but you couldn't see the rest of the prison then. I'd love to go back.
ReplyDeleteThe separation chapel is less grand than the cathedral, one imagines.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting ... I wonder if those prisoners were pleased about being segregated.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of a separate system pub I was in in London - all little cubicles looked at the barkeep but not each other.
ReplyDeleteThat top photo is really nice, with the colors and curves and lines . . . and clouds!
ReplyDelete