Oubliettes: The most tortuous prisons history
The oubliette was an extremely torturous type of dungeon from the medieval era. Keep reading to find out more about how they were used.
Image: Entrance to the oubliette ('to forget') deep dungeons in Nottingham's County Gaol in the National Justice Museum, Nottingham | Maurice Savage / Alamy Stock Photo
The medieval era wasn’t particularly joyful for those who lived during that period. It was a time of disease and famine, but also one of intense torture methods for those unlucky enough to be sent to prison.
One of the worst places inmates could find themselves in was an oubliette. Oubliettes were on a whole other level when it came to medieval torture.
Claustrophobic, unsanitary, and constantly painful, oubliettes were as bad as it gets when it comes to medieval prison cells. If you found yourself locked in an oubliette, you’d be hoping for death sooner rather than later!
Join us here at Sky HISTORY as we dig deeper into the history of the oubliette to uncover just how bad the conditions were and how they came to be.
What are oubliettes?
Oubliette is a French word- pronounced 'oo-blee-ett' - and it comes from the French word 'oublier', meaning 'to forget'. This name was intentional, as prisoners put into an oubliette were abandoned and meant to be forgotten.
These specialised dungeons were vertical, narrow pits in the ground that were particularly deep. The only entrance was a trap door at the top of the pit, always out of reach – but visible – to the poor soul trapped inside.
Inmates were lowered into the narrow shaft of a cell by guards via a rope. Once they were at the bottom, the rope would be pulled up and the trap door would close. The grate offered a tiny bit of light, but only enough to torment the prisoners.
Oubliettes were often so narrow that prisoners could not even kneel or sit down properly. This narrow nature earned them the nickname 'bottle dungeon'.
There was enough space for those inside to tilt their heads back, hence why the grate was visible. Other than that, prisoners could do very little except lie down or stand as they slowly and painfully starved to death.
Some prisoners would be kept alive by having food and water thrown down to them, but this wasn’t common. This usually only happened if the prisoner’s survival was deemed important, or if they were simply lucky. As the name suggests, most of the prisoners unlucky enough to end up in an oubliette would be abandoned and die there.
Prisoners would sometimes have to share their tiny cramped cells with the remains of previous inhabitants. There were also plenty of rats and other vermin that would consume the flesh of the corpses, and sometimes the living prisoners.
Who were oubliettes used for?
Records from the medieval era tend to be sketchy at best, often combining fact with fiction. Because of this, it is difficult to know exactly who was held within an oubliette. However, it is safe to assume that – due to the extreme nature – oubliettes were probably reserved for those who had committed certain severe crimes.
Some potential figures that were likely to have been held in oubliettes are those who were threats to the current ruler, traitors – or suspected traitors – and political rivals.
Oubliettes in the UK
Several oubliettes existed in the UK during the medieval period. Let's take a look at some of the most notorious ones.
Warwick Castle
Built in 1068 by William the Conquerer, Warwick Castle's oubliette is particularly brutal.
The inside of the tiny dungeon space is paved with sharp, jagged stones that come up from the floor. Any prisoner thrown into this oubliette would constantly be in pain from the stones, making this a particularly grim prison.
Chillingham Castle
Chillingham Castle is renowned, as it is thought to be the most haunted castle in Britain. One of the areas of Chillingham Castle considered haunted is the oubliette.
People have said that if you look down into the oubliette through the trapdoor, you can see a girl looking back at you. Some have reported seeing orbs, while other visitors claim to have felt a sudden and unexpected wave of grief and sadness.
The Chillingham Castle oubliette also has scratch marks on the walls, so it's clear to see where prisoners were scrambling to try and escape. Whether or not the oubliette is haunted is a matter of opinion, but what is undeniable is the human suffering that would have occurred here.
Chilling(ham) by name, chilling by nature!
Nottingham
The National Justice Museum in Nottingham is housed within a former police station, courtroom, and prison from the Victorian era. However, the gaol dates back to at least 1449, and an oubliette was discovered there several years ago.
The dungeon is said to have been there since as early as the 1300s. Some believe that Robin Hood may have been imprisoned there before breaking out with help from Little John.
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