02/09/2026
in 1726 John Howard, prison reformer was born. He enforced standards of cleanliness and official salaries for jailers.
This is Thetford Gaol. John Howard visited it and wrote about it in his 1777 book 'The State of the Prisons in England and Wales'. It was last used as a gaol in the 19th century. The ground floor was used as the Thetford police station until 1936.
