"Not content with the long-drawn procession to Tyburn, they paraded the grisly apparatus of death through almost every quarter of London. There is scarcely a street... in which it has not at one time or another planted its black foot."
Charles Knight, London, vol.II, 1841
From the middle ages to 1868, capital punishment, and its related architecture and ceremonies, were a common and highly visible form of public spectacle in London. Executions typically took place up to eight times a year, not only at the customary sites but all over the city. Criminals were paraded across the city, and executed bodies and decapitated heads formed important landmarks. It was almost impossible to avoid witnessing the terrible price of crime.
Drawing on new research undertaken for the recent Executions exhibition, Dr Thomas Ardill will present a virtual tour of London’s execution landscape through 700 years of history, exploring who was executed where and why.
Dr Thomas Ardill
Dr Thomas Ardill is a curator of paintings, prints and drawings at the Museum of London, where he is currently working on permanent displays for the new London Museum, opening at West Smithfield in 2026. In 2022-3 he co-curated Executions: 700 year of Public Punishment at the Museum of London Docklands.
| Ticket | Event time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
|
CITY OF GALLOWS
London's Execution Map |
15:30 - 17:00 | £12.00 |
Address
Dissenters Chapel, Kensal Green Cemetery, 391 Ladbroke Grove, London, W10 5AB
Nearest Station
Ladbroke Grove (Tube)
Getting there
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