Ludgate Hill & The Old Bailey
The Old Bailey courthouse in London stands on the site of the historic Newgate Prison and features a famous unblindfolded gilt bronze statue of Lady Justice by F. W. Pomeroy on its dome. Opened in 1907 by King Edward VII, the building replaced the medieval prison that operated for over 700 years. It has hosted high-profile trials, including those of Oscar Wilde in 1895 and Doctor Crippen in 1910.
London · from the walk “London Uncovered: Secrets of the Square Mile & Beyond” · Generated
Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey, London EC4M 7EH
- F. W. Pomeroy sculpted the unblindfolded gilt bronze statue of Lady Justice atop London's Old Bailey dome.
- Newgate Prison occupied the Old Bailey site for over 700 years before its demolition in 1904.
- In May 1750, gaol fever spreading from Newgate Prison killed the Lord Mayor and 50 courtroom spectators.
- The present Old Bailey building opened in 1907 after hosting notorious historic trials, including Oscar Wilde's in 1895.
Why is the Lady Justice statue at London's Old Bailey not blindfolded?
Look up at the dome above you... and find the golden woman. On the dome of the Old Bailey stands a gilt bronze statue of Lady Justice, sculpted by F. W. Pomeroy. She holds a sword in her right hand and the scales of justice in her left. But here's what most people miss. Do you notice anything unusual about her face? She is Not blindfolded. The courthouse brochures explain that her "maidenly form" is supposed to guarantee her impartiality... which renders the blindfold redundant. In fact, the blindfold was originally a Satirical addition, intended to show Justice as blind to the injustice carried on before her. So London's Lady Justice keeps her eyes wide open. Make of that what you will.
Now... the ground beneath your feet tells a much darker story. Newgate Prison stood at this very corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey, just inside the City of London. Built in the twelfth century and demolished in nineteen oh four, it remained in use for over Seven Hundred years.
For over six centuries the prison was renowned for its appalling conditions. It was said that the floors Crunched as you walked, due to all the lice and bedbugs. And the horror didn't stay behind bars. In May seventeen fifty, something terrifying happened right here. The Lord Mayor, two judges, an alderman, an under-sheriff, and fifty members of the public attending the sessions house Died from gaol fever — typhus — carried straight from the prison into the courtroom. The disease literally leapt from the prisoners in the dock to the judges sentencing them. After that catastrophe, judges were forced to carry nosegays of flowers to hide the unpleasant smells from the cells — it was believed the disease came from horrible smells. And remarkably, that tradition of judges carrying flowers still continues today during formal ceremonies.
Up to twenty people could be hanged at a time here, attracting up to one hundred Thousand spectators. Local pubs, like the Magpie and Stump, would actually hire out rooms offering views of the executions — front-row seats to death, at a premium price.
And then there was Jack Sheppard... a celebrated thief whose daring escapes from prison turned him into a folk hero. He broke out of jail Four times, including twice from Newgate itself. The first time, he loosened an iron bar, lowered himself with a knotted sheet, and escaped in women's clothes. The second time was even more audacious — he climbed up the chimney from his cell, then broke through Six locked doors to reach the prison chapel and found the roof.
In nineteen oh two, the old sessions house and Newgate Prison were demolished to make way for the current building, opened in nineteen oh seven by Edward the Seventh. These oak-panelled courtrooms have been the setting for some of the most notorious cases in criminal history — Oscar Wilde, tried for homosexuality in eighteen ninety-five... Doctor Crippen, for the murder of his wife in nineteen ten.
In nineteen seventy-three, the Provisional Ira exploded a car bomb in the street right outside, killing one person and injuring two hundred. A shard of glass from that blast is still preserved, embedded in the wall at the top of the main stairs — a quiet reminder that justice, like the golden lady above, keeps her eyes open.