Beneath the Morpeth Arms lie the original cells of Millbank Prison, one of the last remaining traces of the vast penitentiary that once stood on this riverside site. Opened in 1816 and designed around a “Panopticon” watchtower concept, the prison was built on challenging Thames-side ground and quickly became infamous for its scale and conditions.

Prisoners lived in hammocks, worked as tailors, and many were transported to Australia from the river steps directly opposite the pub. A surviving bollard across the road still marks the spot where convicts began their journey. The prison closed in 1890 and was demolished to make way for Tate Britain.

Built in 1845 to serve prison wardens, the Morpeth Arms remains steeped in this history—right down to the cells below and tales of a ghostly prisoner said to haunt the pub to this day.