Robert E. Groves - "The Monastery Gateway, S.Albans."

Social History (Museum of St Albans)

1994.280

"The Monastery Gateway, S.Albans." Pencil note bottom left reads "Kindly keep clean and return to artist". Signed Robert E. Groves, 1907. Robert Groves, head of St Albans School of Art, was the designer of the 1907 St Albans pageant. The Abbey Gateway is the only building that remains of the monastery buildings of the Abbey of St Albans. Built in 1365, it was used for many years as a prison. It ceased to be the town gaol in 1867 when a purpose built prison was built on Grimston Road, near the station. It now forms part of St Albans School. In the Gatehouse Prison, offenders were given bread but there was no heating. Passing strangers often heard a pleading voice from within begging them to put alms into an old shoe, which the prisoners let down by string from a window, to enable them to have a fire. Apparently prisoners could escape from the prison by climbing out of a window and jumping on to a tree.

1907

PX3957_1994_280.tif

CD 500

Amy Cooke

3) MoStA Archive Room

St Albans Abbey Gateway, St Albans, Hertfordshire, UK.

PWD box 69 (grey).

01/03/2006