Kettering Bridewell

Bridewell Lane runs off Horsemarket, past the establishment currently called The Sound Bar.

What is a Bridewell?

A bridewell, or house of correction, was part of the justice system. Prisons were rarely used as a punishment in their own right. They were generally used for people in debt, or those awaiting execution.

So instead of punishment, bridewells were designed to reform petty criminals – “idlers, vagrants, and prostitutes.” This was through being made to work, with physical punishment for those who refused.

Originally named for Bridewell Palace in London, it soon became law that every county had at least one.

Kettering Bridewell

A bridewell was ordered for Kettering in 1745. The aptly-named Joseph Warden was appointed its keeper. It was behind his pub, which would be rebuilt after the 1766 fire of Kettering.

Among this pub’s names would be The Woolpack Inn and Henry’s Bar.

Like many bridewells, it closed by the early nineteenth century.

Fun Fact – When the Kettering bridewell opened, Horsemarket was called Hog Leys. Leys is usually spelled as “leas”, and is an old-fashioned term for an open grassy area. It was once an area used for feeding pigs, and eventually become a hub for trading livestock.

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