سجن الباستيل في لندن

“The Bastille in London is very charming and interesting.” - Fiona Rule, author of _The Worst Street in London_ In 1794, Britain's most famous and newest prison opened in Clerkenwell, north London. Built on principles laid down by John Howard, the most famous and committed advocate of prison reform of the 18th century, the new Coldbath Fields Prison was intended to be a pioneering model of Howard's humanitarian improvements. However, within a few years, he gained notoriety for his cruelty and injustice. The flowering of British extremism in the wake of the French Revolution, the repressive measures taken by Prime Minister William Pitt in response, and the brutal appointment of Thomas Aries as governor of the prison, all combined to ensure that this “sophisticated” facility became not only the most prominent political prison of its day, but also the most notorious for the abuses that took place within its walls – abuses to which the government and the judiciary systematically turned a blind eye.