NHER 12218 (Monument record) - Site of a post-medieval bridewell

'In Burgh Road near the Market Place' stood the Bridewell, dated by a plaque to 1543. Around 1890 it was made into tenements, when the plaque was preserved in the town 'business room'.
Information from (S1).

March 1978. Field observation.
Nothing in Burgh Road to suggest site of this. Nothing on tithe map.
E. Rose (NAU), 21 March 1978.

At grid reference, behind 3 Burgh Road (NHER 60113), is a cottage, externally unremarkable of type around 1800, called Bridewell Cottage, and attached is a modern (around 1960) block of offices named The Old Bridewell. Presumably this stands on the site of the tenements.
E. Rose (NAU), 28 August 1986.

A.Way's Catalogue of the Society of Antiquaries Collection mentions two iron catchpolls from the Aylsham Bridewell given by J. A. Repton in 1852, and gives references (S2) and (S3).
J. J. Wymer (NAU), April 1988.

The bridewell was closed in 1825. Source [1] states that he had believed the Bridewell to have actually stood on the street frontage. In a garden between the street and the buildings described above he has seen two underground cells (in the garden of NHER 60113) which he assumed marked its site. These are still accessible.
E. Rose (NLA), 24 February 1997.

According to notes in Stratton Strawless parish magazine about 1910, the Bridewell was rebuilt in 1787 when a wallplate was found embossed 'God Save our Supprem' King Henry The Hyght. Pray For the Good Prosperyte and Asstate of Robert Marsham and Jone his Wife the which this house they caused to be made to the honor of the Towne be thir qwyck lyfe fines 1543'. It was above a Gothic arch and was 11.5m (37 feet 10 inches) long. The inscription was seen again in 1795. A separate shield has 'This House was made in the year of our Lorde 1543'. The arch had shield spandrels with RM and JB painted on.
E. Rose (NLA), 21 December 2002.

January 2003. Field observation.
The two 'cells' noted above are in the garden to the east of No 5 burgh Road. They are not underground, but are two small brick buildings each with a pointed door between two blank pointed windows. These seem far more likley to be Gothick garden houses. It would seem very improbable, therefore, that the Bridewell could have stood on the street frontage until around 1890. There is stated to be a plan of the prison in the town archives.
See NHER 60113 for further discusion of Nos 3 and 5 Burgh Road.
E. Rose (NLA), 13 January 2003.
Amended H. Hamilton (HES), 23 July 2014.

[2] has found a reference to the Bridewell being rebuilt in 1787 and sold off in 1825. It would appear that 3 and 5 Burgh Road (NHER 60113) are the section of 1787, and no 1 (NHER 37636) is an addition between 1787 and 1825.
See discussion under NHER 37636.
E. Rose (NLA), 17 January 2003.

(S4) shows 3 and 5 Burgh Road (NHER 60113) as internally consisting of six cells, corridor and staircase. To the north is a yard with outbuildings, which are on the site of the above mentioned buildings called Old Bridewell etc. The two Gothick so called cells are not shown, indicating they are post 1825 and not cells. Importantly the plan indicates that 1 Burgh Road and 2 Red Lion Street (see NHER 37636) were integral parts of the Bridewell.
E. Rose (NLA), 27 January 2003.