Gallows

The National Monuments Service's description

The site lies at the eastern end of North King Street, from 189-194 on the southern side of the street, and extends along Halston Street and Green Street. Known originally as Abbey Green, 1558 is the first recorded usage of that name. An archaeological assessment in 1988 revealed in situ articulated and dis-articulated skeletons across the site. The site appears to be a burial-ground. The burials consist of adult male and female burials and infant burials. All are buried in an east-west direction, apart from two infant burials that were buried roughly north-south and lay just inside the site at the Green Street side. Excavations revealed eighteen fully articulated skeletons. The skeletons consist of male and female adults and some children. Initial examination dates them to the late 17th/early 18th century. The site was once home to the city's gallows. Further excavations on the site in 1999 uncoveredc.430 articulated human skeletons along with c. 120 disarticulated human remains. These are likely to be late in date and asssociated with executions at Newgate prison (Nelis 2000, 71-2).