The Clink was established in the 12th Century and was in operation until the 18th Century. "Clink" became a euphemism for a lock-up.

It was originally used for the detention of heretics (both Protestants and Catholics, as religious favours changed). At one point the Clink was reserved for priests who took the Oath of Allegiance. but came to be used for people who broke the peace on Bankside or in Southwark's numerous brothels. The prison probably fell into disuse after the English Civil War, though it was described in 1761 as being "a very dismal hole where debtors are sometimes confined, but little used". The Clink was burned down during the Gordon Riots of 1780 and never rebuilt.

What remains now is a museum housing a collection of armoury and torture devices.