Jedburgh Castle Jail & Museum

Jedburgh Castle Jail & Museum is in the Borders Town of Jedburgh, 48 miles southeast of Edinburgh, 10 miles north of the Border with England at Carter Bar, built from 1823 to serve as a prison.

The Castle is open April – October 10.00 - 16.00 Mon to Sat, 10.00 - 15.00 Sun, Free admission. Postcode: TD8 6AS

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The image top is of the Tolbooth in Jedburgh centre looking up Castle Gate towards Jedburgh Castle, a fairly steep walk.

The Castle seen today, built to serve as a Jail, was completed in 1823, on the site of an earlier Castle from the 1100s.

The Jail at Jedburgh Castle closed in 1886, with it converted to serve as a Museum in 1968.

The Museum covers the area of Jedburgh from after the last Ice Age 12,000 years back, through the Wars with England 1200s to 1500s, 1700s Farming, Sport and Leisure from the 1750s, early Law and Order, and Famous people from the area.

Jedburgh Castle History

1100s - the first Castle on this site was built for King David I, probably a wooden Castle that would have been re-built in stone over the following centuries.

Kings of Scotland at this time controlled Northumberland, spending a lot of their time in this area, building Castles and large Abbey's.

1165 - David's grandson and successor Malcolm IV died at Jedburgh Castle, aged 24.

1174 - King William I, The Lion, brother of Malcolm, was captured by the English at the Battle of Alnwick. To gain the release of their King, the Scots signed the Treaty of Falaise, giving the English control of the castles of Roxburgh, Berwick, Jedburgh, Edinburgh, and Stirling.

1189 - King Richard I of England, Lionheart, returned control of the Castles to Scotland in return for 10,000 silver marks. This was so Richard could help fund a Crusade to the Holy Land.

1286 - King Alexander III of Scotland died without leaving an heir, leading to Wars with England, as the English tried to take control of Scotland. Alexander III had used Jedburgh Castle on many occasions as a Hunting Lodge, for a royal horse stud, and to entertain Kings of England.

1296 - during the First War of Scottish Independence, the forces of King Edward I of England took control of Jedburgh Castle with little resistance.

1314 - the Scots forces of Robert the Bruce took control of Jedburgh Castle, then had it dismantled to prevent the English using it again.

1333 - during the Second War of Scottish Independence, forces of King Edward III of England took control of Jedburgh and rebuilt the Castle. The Scots regained the Castle soon after.

1346 - the English gained control of Jedburgh Castle again, holding it for the following 63 years.

1409 - the Scots under the command of Sir James Douglas of Balvenie, re-took Jedburgh Castle, then dismantled the fortress so it could not be used by the English again.

1820 - the site of the original Castle was used for the construction of a new Reform Prison, known as Jedburgh Castle Jail. This was based on designs of John Howard, the prison reformer.

1868 - the Prison at Jedburgh Castle was closed.

1968 - Jedburgh Castle was converted to serve as the Jedburgh Castle Jail & Museum.