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York Tyburn

York Tyburn was in use for over 400 years, serving as the city's main execution site for the Crown's justice.

Booking This Attraction

30 mins

Suitable for all ages

Named after the same site near Marble Arch in London, York Tyburn was one of four locations in the city used for public executions.

Controlled by the Crown, the first recorded execution took place in 1379 and the last one was held in 1801.

The gallows consisted of a tall wooden triangle which was supported on three wooden pillars, dubbed the ‘Three-Legged Mare’.

Large crowds gathered to see the spectacle of convicts hanged, which ranged from murderers to petty thieves.

By far the most famous execution was the highwayman Dick Turpin in 1739, tried and sentenced to death for the crime of stealing horses.

After a brief conversation with his hangman, Turpin jumped off the scaffold himself with the noose around his neck.