A few weeks ago Emily and I enjoyed an amble around Stockport town centre and checked out a few of the pubs there too. Walking from the market hall towards the Underbank we noticed a wooden door above the ground and a plaque above that.
The plaque described how the building had once been the town's Court Leet - the magistrates court of its time - and the door was the entrance and exit to a dungeon!
Last weekend we were enjoying another walk around our new local town, this time with our friend Simon who had just arrived for a weekend stay with us. We walked up Mealhouse Brow to show him the dungeon door and plaque as it was an interesting bit of history. And while we were at the spot we were offered a tour of it! We didn't realise that was a thing - but the Stockport Heritage Trust look after the building and the building is open for tours.
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| Free tour if your dare! Well worth a visit though |
In a way we wish we hadn't gone in, as the dungeon itself has to be see to be believed! The outer door we had seen was the way in to the 'drunk tank' dungeon - itself a pretty squalid cell. But the dungeon of the Court Leet was far more horrifying than that.
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| The view of the drunk tank cell - seen from a hole in the court leet cell. I think I'd rather have just been given a tour of the dungeon with the door! |
Even so, for anyone interested in social history, and the history of Stockport, Mealhouse Brow is well worth a visit. Just be prepared to hear from the knowledgeable volunteer from Stockport Heritage Trust about the conditions prisoners were kept in!
Visit the Stockport Heritage Trust website and blog for more information and details of the Stockport Heritage Trail.
We picked up a copy of the Stockport Heritage Trust's Town Trail map and are looking forward to exploring the other places of interest in the town.
Links:
- Stockport Heritage Trust website
- Stockport Heritage Trust blog
- Stockport Blue Plaques
Related blog posts:
- Stockport
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