York Dungeon
York Dungeon
12 Clifford Street,
York YO1 9RD
Tel: 0190 463 2599
About York Dungeon
As with the London and Edinburgh Dungeons, which are managed by the same company, York Dungeon provides the visitor with an unparalleled view of the seamier side of life through history – in this case largely the fascinating and grisly history of the city of York, the centre of many scandals and horrors through the centuries. Bring the whole family for an experience which is suitable for all but very young children – and expect a day which will linger in the memory for a long time to come…
The infamous highwayman Dick Turpin is celebrated at the York Dungeon in style. The story behind the life of Turpin, who has been portrayed in many dramatic interpretations as a dashing character who led a life of romance and glamour, comes to life with historical accuracy at the Dungeon with the aid of realistic sound effects and chilling sword-fight sounds. Turpin, whose career came to an inglorious end when he was hanged for horse-rustling (intriguingly, not highway robbery), was – according to biographers – a man with a violent nature rather than the lovable rogue anti-hero of popular literature, and the Dungeon helps reveal some of the truth behind the legend. His connection with the city of York is primarily based on a 15-hour ride he is supposed to have made while making an attempt to establish an alibi – a feat which is in doubt, but which helps to give the legend local currency if nothing else.
The Ghosts Of York exhibition continues the Dungeon’s trip into the dark side of life, with the chance to come face to face with a spirit from a higher plane of existence. As the visitor passes along a darkened room, the sense of danger builds until he or she is confronted by a pale, almost transparent figure who lingers for a while. Does this emissary from the underworld have a message? Only it knows…
Moving back to more earthly – but equally awe-inspiring and unsettling – phenomena, the Gorvik attraction is devoted to a study of the fearsome Berserkers, the Viking warriors whose fighting abilities were second to none thanks to the frenzied, bestial nature of their attacks. Totally unafraid of injury or death, these powerful fighting men were among the most deadly warriors of the Viking or any other army, with rumours of their rage being induced by drugs only adding to their terrifying reputation over the centuries. The full story of these long-gone fighters and of the Viking race themselves is explored in full in this fascinating exhibit.
Jumping forward several centuries, the Guy Fawkes exhibition tells the full tragic tale of the events that built the Gunpowder Plot legend. In 1605 a group of Catholic noblemen, of which Fawkes was an explosives expert from his time in the armed forces, resolved to destroy the House Of Lords in the Parliament buildings in London and kill King James I, under whom the English Catholic church had suffered. Gathering 20 barrels of gunpowder in a disused cellar and plotting to overthrow the post-explosion government in a rebellion from the provinces, the conspirators prepared themselves for the mighty blow – but were prevented from achieving their goals after a letter written by one of them (warning a friend in the House to stay away that night) was revealed. The conspirators were caught and executed, with Fawkes himself cleverly avoiding being hung, drawn and quartered by leaping from the gallows, ensuring that the supposedly non-fatal hanging portion of his punishment was indeed lethal. The whole highly entertaining story is celebrated at York Dungeon, as well as the legacy that leads children to ‘remember the 5th of November’ to this day.
Even though the death meted out to Fawkes and his co-conspirators seems unnecessarily bloody by modern standards, such practices were the law in those times – as the Implements Of Torture exhibition reveals. With interactive features demonstrating exactly how ancient instruments of torture worked, this attraction makes it very clear what fate awaited law-breakers in those less tolerant days. Similarly, the Judgement Of Sinners zone is a clear and unsettling demonstration of the powers of law in those far-off times – complete with an 18th-century judge who will pass sentence on an unfortunate visitor with no mercy showed or allowed. One of many punishments could be yours, with one option of years spent rotting in a rat-infested dungeon and another a task which you must perform – or face an alternative fate.
The Dungeon offers many more sources of entertainment and information for the visitor focused on life’s darker side, some of which reveal much about how grim life could be back in the further reaches of York’s history. For example, you’ll be fascinated by the Labyrinth Of The Lost, an ancient fortress built under Roman York (known as Eboracum all those millennia ago) and buried beneath York Minster, the city’s famous cathedral. Explore the maze and follow in the footsteps of the soldiers of the Empire, battling at its peak to contain most of the known planet.
Elsewhere the Dungeon hosts an interactive exploration of the plague which swept York in the 17th century, passing on to annihilate over half of Europe’s population at the time (over 24 million lives lost). It’s a grim and at times grisly attraction – if ‘attraction’ is even the right word for such a terrible subject – but it really educates the visitor about the near-unimaginable scale of the human catastrophe which it explores.
Perhaps the last-mentioned exhibit encapsulates York Dungeon’s unique appeal best of all as a place which offers entertainment and information in equal measure – and which doesn’t shy away from exploring life’s dark side. A highly entertaining place to visit, and a high point of any sojourn to one of Britain’s great cities, York Dungeon will remain at the top of any visitor’s agenda to the region for a long time to come. A better example of the multifaceted nature of the society we live in, and its long and tumultous history, will be hard to find within many miles of the Dungeon.