At 10:05 AM +1000 21/6/99, Michael Grey wrote:
>The 'Old Bailey' is the nick name for the Central Criminal Court of London.
>This new Court was built on the site of the notorious Newgate Prison at the
>turn of the century (I think 1903). Of course Newgate prison (active from
>the 12th century) has earned its reputation through history for the inhuman
>conditions incarcerated prisoners were subjected to. Newgate road runs
>adjacent to the site of the old prison and the new Court house. I don't
>know which came first, Newgate Road or Newgate prison, but in an attempt
>to expunge past references to Newgate prison the Court house has been call
>the 'Old Bailey' in reference to the Bailey 'road' (really an alleyway)
>which runs adjacent to Newgate road.
The bailey is the area just inside the city wall. The court is called the
Old Bailey because it is built in the location of the old bailey. Bailey
Road is probably built on the original bailey. Newgate Road sounds like it
predates the prison, but who knows when the gate was new.
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