The Lichfield Guildhall’s historic prison cells are open every Saturday until the end of September 2012. It is free entry. The refreshed displays were opened to the public by Lichfield City Council on April 11. The date marks the 400th anniversary of the death of Edward Wightman, one of the cell’s most well-known occupants. Wightman, an ale-house keeper from Burton-on-Trent, was the last man to be burned at the stake for Heresy in England in 1612. He would have made the journey from the Guildhall cells to meet his fate on the Market Square at the hands of the Sheriff.
The whole place was very small. I would not recommend taking a pushchair as there was just no place to manoeuvre. There were four small cells and there were only two cells open for viewing. There were electronic/interactive guides on the side for you to press for information. These are the few photos I took:
Mr K was not impressed as it was “stinky”. There were no windows and the air was stale. Overall, I thought it was a great experience to learn about the history of Lichfield.