Built from rock, the gaol of Mellester Manor was used frequently, mostly to offer some perspective to those who needed solitude and sobriety. It was never used to secure people for long periods of time, usually no longer than a day or two; until the lord heard the plea in the manorial court, or the accused's demeaner returned to a more temperate frame of mind. Punishment never amounted to gaol time, nor was any time spent incarcerated taken into consideration when contemplating a ...