best prison tours uk

16 Best Prison Museums To Visit in the UK

by Louise Humphries

Last Updated on June 7, 2023

In the UK, there are numerous prison museums. These historical tourist attractions explore the darker side of the UK’s history.

Most were converted from former prisons to museums quite recently. Many offer guided tours.

Discover how criminals were punished for their crimes in the past. Hear tales of inmates who were unjustly imprisoned. Learn about the daily life of prisoners. Find out what they ate, how they exercised and the conditions in which they lived. Listen to stories of how criminals were executed and see where it happened.

As well as guided tours, many prison museums offer other events such as paranormal investigations and airsoft games.

Read on to discover the top prison museums in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Island.

Table of Contents

Shrewsbury Prison

The first prison building on the site in Shrewsbury was opened to prisoners in 1793. There were 204 cells (179 for men and 25 for women). Many public executions took place here.

The first execution at the new gaol took place on Saturday, the 15th of August 1795, when John Smith, aged 25, was hanged for stealing 10 cotton handkerchiefs in the shop of John Miner. The last public hanging was of 30 year old Edward Cooper who was executed for murder in 1863. From 1902 and to 1961, there were 8 executions that took place inside the prison.

The prison still standing housed 330 men and 22 women across two wings. The last prisoners vacated the prison in 2013

Today you can embark on a guided tour with a former prison officer. Hear tales of the crimes committed by the inmates and daily life inside the prison.

See the processing areas where prisoners arrived, step into the exercise yard and experience the execution room.

Book Your Visit online at Shrewsbury Prison .

Bodmin Jail, Cornwall

Bodmin Jail was built in 1779. The history of the prison is gruesome, overseeing over 55 public hangings, 8 of them women for crimes which included murder, rape and stealing.

It was the first prison to hold prisoners in individual cells. The last male prisoner left the prison in 1916 and it was officially closed in 1927.

Bodmin Jail has undergone a major refurbishment with part of it being turned into a hotel. If you’ve visited in the past, it may be time to go back.

Gloucester Prison

Gloucester Prison opened in 1791.

It has a fascinating if gruesome history, over 123 people were executed there.

In the modern era, HMP Gloucester was classified as a Category B adult male local prison and young offenders institution. It was intended to hold mainly those on remand or newly sentenced and waiting to be sent to another prison.

It was closed in 2013 due to overcrowding.

A guided tour is highly recommended. Learn about the daily life of the prisoners and be informed about the technical aspects of hanging. Gruesome stuff. There are 3 daily tour times. The 5.30pm tour isn’t recommended for kids under 14, so make sure you choose the right one.

Today there are many other regular events that you can go to there. They include a paranormal investigation with haunted happenings event and airsoft games!

Oxford Castle and Prison

Oxford Castle and Prison is over 1000 years old. It was built after the Norman invasion in 1066 by Norman baron Robert O’Doyly.

Over time the Castle transformed from castle to a prison. It closed its doors to prisoners in 1996 and is now a tourist attraction.

To get the best out of a visit to Oxford castle and prison, book a guided tour. A costumed guide shows you around the prison.

See the prisoner cells, hear tales of the prisoners and discover how a prison worked for children in bygone times.

Enjoy the thrill of the 100 stair climb up a winding staircase to the top of the tower, where the views are excellent.

Shepton Mallet Prison, Somerset

Shepton Mallet Prison was built in 1625 and closed in 2013. In the early years, prison conditions were grim. Men, women and children were housed together. They weren’t separated by seriousness of their crime. Gaolers weren’t paid. They earned money doing things like selling alcohol to inmates. Promiscuous and drunken behaviour were common. Outbreaks of diseases and fever occurred regularly.

The Victorian era led to different types of punishment such as hard labour and separating and silencing prisoners. Seven executions took place here between 1889 and 1926. The bodies were buried in the prison grounds where they remain today.

In World War 2 the prison became a British Military Prison and was then taken over by the US army. Hundreds of US servicemen were imprisoned here. 18 US soldiers were killed either by firing squad or hanging during this time.

After the war, the prison one again held civilians. At one time the Krays were held here. It finally closed its doors on 18th March 2013.

Clink Prison Museum

The Clink Prison dates back to 1144 making it one of England’s oldest and most notorious prisons. It held prisoners for over 500 years. In 1780 it was burned down in a riot and was never rebuilt.

The museum today is built on the original site. Just one wall remains from the original prison.

The museum is on the gory side and is a great way to bring history to life.

See the torture devices and read the information boards with more in-depth details. View archaeological artefacts, experience the sights, sounds and smells of the prison and hear stories of torment and misfortune of the inmates.

It is a quick attraction to visit. Allow at least an hour, but you might get around even quicker.

Dartmoor Prison Museum

Dartmoor Prison has been a prison for over 200 years.

It has a fascinating history. It’s first prisoners in 1809 were prisoners of war from the Napoleonic War.

In Victorian times, it housed criminals of some of the worst crimes.

One of the most famous prisoners at Dartmoor was Frank Mitchell (the ‘Mad Axeman’). He escaped but was never recaptured. It last transpired he was murdered by the Krays.

Today Dartmoor is still a prison. It holds low category prisoners who live in single cells. The aim is to reform the prisoners and they are encouraged to go on training courses to help them on release.

The museum itself is small but packed with well curated exhibits and information. To get the most out of your visit reading the information is required. There are some fascinating things to see including prisoner contraband and weapons.

Lancaster Castle

Lancaster Castle dates back to Roman times and has served many functions. It was originally a medieval fortress but over the years the castle has also welcomed numerous Royal visitors and served as a hub of justice with courtrooms, dungeons and a prison.

The castle has been a prison in one capacity or another from the 12th century until 21st Century. HMP Lancaster, a Category C prison was operational right up until March 2011.

Visitors can explore the castle’s extensive grounds and visit the former prison cells. It’s worth taking a guided tour to make the most of your visit. Guided tours of the Castle include visits to its 18th century cells, Pentonville-style male penitentiary, dedicated debtors’ prison area and female penitentiary

The castle and prison has a grim but fascinating history. One notable aspect is Lancaster Castle’s association with the infamous Pendle Witch Trials of 1612. The trials involved the persecution and execution of several individuals accused of witchcraft in the nearby Pendle Hill area. The accused were held in Lancaster Castle before and during their trials, and ten of them were ultimately found guilty and sentenced to death.

It was also the first prison to segregate inmates by age and gender.

At the time of writing (May 2023) part of the castle is closed to visitors due to updating a fire alarm system. However, Limited tours, lasting 30 minutes, take place throughout the day but only cover the external courtyards and one of the prison buildings.

Find out more at Lancaster Castle .

Inveraray Jail, Argyle, Scotland

A visit to Inveray Jail is a great family day out. The building houses both a courtroom and a jail

Travel back into the 1800s. Hear stories of men, women and children who were tried and served sentences there.  Some of the children were as young as 7. Learn about how grim conditions were and find out the punishments they faced.

The history is fascinating. The details such as the prisoner names, numbers, ages and dates of the stories really bring the inmates to life.

Costumed jail officers walk around and you can ask them questions about what life was like

The National Justice Museum, Nottingham

The National Justice Museum shows the history of crime and punishment from medieval times up to the modern day  At one time, it was a one stop shop for criminals. It acted as a Victorian police station, gaol, courtroom and execution site. There are many real prison cells to see that span a long period of history.

Public executions were held on the front steps of the building. Richard Parker was the last person to be executed on the front steps. His crime was murdering his parents after a drunken row.

Today you can book online and visit the museum’s original courtrooms, prison cells and dungeon.

Exhibits include prisoner and prisoner office uniforms throughut the 20th century. Also see objects such as the balustrade from Strangeways prison during the 1990 riot.

Ruthin Gaol, Wales

Ruthin Gaol was closed in 1916. There has been a gaol on the site since the end of the 1700s. It was small but grew from having just 4 cells to being able to hold 37 inmates in 1837. By the end of the 1800s a new four story building was in place that held over 100 prisoners.

One execution took place here. William Hughes was hanged for murdering his wife in 1903.

A famous escapee was John Jones, known as Coch Bach y Bala. He escaped twice. Once by climbing out of a window using a rope made of bedsheets! He was recaptured both times.

Today you can visit Ruthin Gaol. Discover what life was like for prisoners. Learn about their daily routines, what they ate, how they worked and the punishments they suffered (sometimes for stealing an apple!) Visit the condemned cell. Experience the ‘smells’. Hear the tales of its most colourful prisoners.

Crumlin Road Gaol, Belfast, Northern Ireland

The first 106 inmates of Crumlin Road Gaol , were forced to walk from Carrickfergus Prison in chains in 1846. These inmates, were men, women and children. Children from poor families were often imprisoned for offences such as stealing food. Sadly, thirteen-year-old Patrick Magee, who had been sentenced to three months, hanged himself in his cell in 1858.

Public executions were carried out here until 1901. The last hangings took place in 1961.

Some well known prisoners included Éamon de Valera, Martin McGuinness, Michael Stone and Bobby Sands. Two prisoners were killed in 1991 when a IRA bomb went off in one of the wings.

The gaol closed its doors as a prison in 1996.

Dorchester Prison

Dorchester Prison was built in 1795.

The last public hanging that took place outside Dorchester prison was of Elizabeth Martha Brown a grocer aged 45 and mother of 2. She was convicted of the murder of her husband John Brown. She was said to have attacked him with an axe after he took a whip to her. The execution was said to have been witnessed by the writer, Thomas Hardy, who was 16 at the time. He later wrote 70 years later that he was ashamed to have been there.

Later Dorchester prison incarcerated only men. The prison was closed in 2013.

Today, you can go on a guided tour lead by a former prisoner officer, Eddie.

Peterhead Prison Museum, Scotland

Peterhead Prison operated between 1888 and 2013. It was designed to hold 208 prisoners who were sentenced to hard labour. In reality numbers averaged more than 350 with a peak of 455 in 1911.

Known as Scotland’s toughest jail, Peterhead Prison had a history of poor conditions for prisoners.

In 1987, there was a hostage situation where an officer was held on the roof for 4 days. The SAS were called in to end the siege.

The Tower of London

Although not it’s primary use, The Tower of London served as a prison throughout most of it’s fascinating history with some very famous inmates.

Its use as a prison began in the 1100s, during the reign of King Henry I and continued until as recently as the mid 20th century.

During the medieval period, the Tower of London was primarily used to imprison high-profile individuals, such as nobles, members of the royal family, and religious figures. Many of these prisoners were held for political reasons, such as treason or plotting against the monarchy. The Tower was also used to hold prisoners of war.

One of the most famous prisoners of the Tower was Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII. She was accused of adultery, treason, and incest and was held at the Tower before her execution in 1536. Other notable prisoners included Sir Thomas More, Queen Elizabeth I before she became queen, and Guy Fawkes, who was involved in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.

Prisoners were held in various parts of the Tower, including the Bloody Tower, the Wakefield Tower, and the Beauchamp Tower. Some were held in relatively comfortable conditions, while others were subjected to harsh treatment, torture, and execution.

The Tower of London was still being used as a prison in the early part of the 20th century. Inmates during this time included Nazi criminals Rudolph Heiss and Josef Jacobs (the last person to be executed at the Tower). In 1952, the Kray twins were also imprisoned at the Tower for a few days. 

The Victorian Prison in Lincoln Castle

If you visit Lincoln Castle, there is Victorian prison inside. The prison has a fascinating history.

Men, women and children as young as eight were held here from 1848 to 1878 for crimes ranging from stealing a waistcoat and Bible, to highway robbery and murder. There were 7 hangings of murderers here. Their bodies were buried in the Lucy Tower where they remain til this day.

Many of the prisoners were segregated from other prisoners to help them reflect on their actions and reform their behaviour.

A visit here is very interactive. Dress up as a prisoner or member of staff. Explore the cells. Imagine the solitude of the single cell, the chaos of the crowded cell, and the desperation of the dark cell.

Find out more at Lincoln Castle

Littledean Jail

Littledean Jail is a former prison located in the village of Littledean, Gloucestershire. Built in 1791, its was originally a debtors’ prison. Later, it became a house of correction and a police station.

Conditions within the prison were often harsh and overcrowded, with little regard for the welfare of the inmates.

In 1968, Littledean Jail was closed as a prison and subsequently fell into disrepair. However, in the 1980s, the jail was converted into a museum and tourist attraction, with exhibitions featuring the history of crime and punishment in England. Today it’s more of a crime museum than a prison.

The museum is known for its collection of curiosities, including taxidermy animals, shrunken heads, and other oddities. Some of the exhibits focus on dark and unsettling topics such as Fred and Rose West, Witchfinders, Satanism, the SS and the Holocaust, Myra Hindley and the KKK. As you can see the exhibits are controversial, with some visitors expressing concern over the ethics of some of the displays. More light-hearted displays include the Quadrophenia exhibition, Princess Diana letters and the heroics of the SAS.

It’s certainly not a museum for everybody (definitely not for myself). However if you’re interested in crime and dark history, it could be worth a visit. Check out the website and read reviews of this one before you visit to see if it’s for you.

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Visit a Prison Museum!

Although The Prison Website provides a vast amount of information about prisons, there's nothing like exploring a real prison building to get a first-hand idea of what they were like. The best way to do this is to visit one of the museums now housed in a former prison.

Always check current opening details with each museum when planning a visit.

WELCOME TO CLINK PRISON MUSEUM  

The Clink Prison dates back to 1144 making it one of England’s oldest and most notorious prisons. Positioned in the heart of modern-day Southwark and built on the original site, The Clink Prison Museum presents the scandalous truth of Old Bankside through a hands-on educational experience. There are opportunities to view archaeological artefacts, experience the sights, sounds and smells of the prison, handle torture devices, and to view and hear all about the tales of torment and many misfortunes of the inmates of the infamous Clink Prison.

Spanning for over 600 years, it witnessed a remarkable amount of social and political change in England, and thus housed a multitude of sinners throughout its existence, including debtors, heretics, drunkards, harlots, and later religious adversaries. Positioned in the heart of modern day Southwark, the prison was situated in an area that has long been associated with more raucous, vivacious and unruly behaviour; it was the louder, ruder and wickeder neighbour to The City, and a place where Londoners sought entertainment.

EXPLORE THE PRISON THAT GAVE ITS NAME TO ALL OTHERS!

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The Clink Prison Museum | 1 Clink St, London, SE1 9DG United Kingdom [email protected] | 020 7403 0900 terms & conditions | privacy policy | partners Copyright © The Clink Museum Ltd. | All Rights Reserved! The Clink Museum Ltd. registered in England & Wales, registration number 06865379

Please note, unfortunately this museum is NOT wheelchair accessible. Sorry for the inconvenience caused.

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Heritage tours at Shrewsbury Prison

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Walk in the footsteps of prisoners who have been residents of the wings during the last 200 years. Discover what happens behind the high walls and locked doors. Experience the hidden world of capital punishment and see first-hand where executions took place.

Join our tour guide who will shine a light on what life was really like for prisoners, officers and visitors. Your guide will bring the prison to life through a no holds barred tour of this historic and fascinating building.

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• Access to all areas
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• Please arrive 15 minutes before your tour time.
• Wrap up warm its cold in the prison
• Prison tours last for 1.5hours and cover approximately one mile.
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• We regret we are unable to provide full site wheelchair access as this is an old building and we have steps. We do have a stair lift that can be used for those with limited mobility.
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Explore at your own pace.....

If you’re looking for a day out with a difference, you’re in the right place. Explore the whole prison at your leisure, take photos and CELLfies as you soak up the atmosphere of this amazing Victorian prison. An ideal day out for families with young children who would like to investigate at their own pace.

You will be given a visitor guide and map, as you explore around the prison use the sound boxes to learn the facts and history of the prison. The information boards add a fascinating background detail to your visit with staff always available to point you in the right direction and answer any questions you may have.

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Top Prisons Open to Visitors in the UK

You’re going to jail! It’s not something everyone wants to hear, however, you don’t have to be a criminal to visit a UK prison! There are many historic and operating jails that allow you to visit as a guest. Visiting a prison isn’t as scary as it sounds, they are a great way to learn about the history of wherever you are visiting. And in most cases, a towns’ prison is often the epicenter of some of the best stories. Read on for the top prisons open to visitors in the UK:

6. Bodmin Jail, Cornwall http://www.bodminjail.org/

Originally built for King George III in 1779, this visitor experience is set over six floors! This fascinating building, steeped in both social and architectural history, offers visitors an amazing insight into Cornish penal life over the centuries.

5. York Castle prison http://www.yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk/exhibition/13/

Part of York Castle Museum, the prison exhibition is housed in 18 th century prison buildings. Visitors will get a flavour of what life was really like in the original cells and see some of the most infamous inmates brought to life.

4. Oxford Castle & Prison

Take a guided tour and discover the 1,000-year history of Oxford Castle & Prison. Initially, a Motte and Bailey Castle that transformed over time into a prison. This building is vital to the development of the city of Oxford… And not to mention, housing the university’s drunken students!

Book your tour today

3. Crumlin Road Jail, Belfast http://www.crumlinroadgaol.com/

The Crumlin Road Gaol dates back to 1845 and like HMP Oxford Castle, only closed its doors as a working prison in 1996. Explore over 150 years of history with a Guided Tour of Belfast’s Infamous Prison.

2. The Clink, London http://www.clink.co.uk/

The Clink Prison Museum is built upon the original site of The Clink Prison, which dating back to 1144 was one of England’s oldest and most notorious prisons. Visitors will learn all about the scandalous truth through a hands-on educational experience, with the opportunity to view architectural artefacts, handle torture devices, and hear all about the tales of torment and many misfortunes of the inmates of the infamous prison.

1. Galleries of Justice, Nottingham http://www.galleriesofjustice.org.uk/ England’s history of Crime and Punishment is a shocking one. As are the sinister and grim stories of Nottingham’s own outlaws which are brought to life in the building where they were judged imprisoned and executed. To capture and explain this gruesome history, visitors to the museum of Crime and Punishment will explore exhibitions, and experience audio and performance-led tours set in Nottingham’s old courthouse and gaol.

If you would like to find out more about one of the top prisons open to visitors in the UK (us!) then you can follow our social media channels: Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .

Photo credits:

Bodmin Jail – credit to Jon Blathwayt , used under the Creative Commons attribution license

The Clink – credit to Lisa Tozzi , used under the Creative Commons attribution license (as above)

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During our tour, you'll be joined by an expert guide who'll bring the prison to life through a no-holds-barred tour of this historic and fascinating building.

Join a guided tour, led by a guide with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the prison’s history. They'll shine a light on what life was really like for prisoners, officers and visitors with real-life tales that will leave you intrigued and shocked.

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7 best prison movies to stream right now

For drama behind bars

Movies have the power to take us anywhere. But sometimes they’re best served when there are constraints placed on their narrative potential, where writers and directors have to work within the limitations of a certain setting — a jail, for example. 

The repressive aspects of prison give cinematic incarcerated characters a coiled energy, a yearning to be free (sometimes by any means necessary), and a sense of rebellion that is endlessly fascinating to watch play out on screen. 

Whether they’re victims of the modern-day mass incarceration crisis or prisoners of war attempting to escape their jailers, the challenges they face are uniquely cinematic. Here are some of the best prison movies that are available to stream today.

'The Great Escape'

"The Great Escape" has an incredibly strong ensemble cast, but let’s not kid ourselves — Steve McQueen is a whole vibe here. He stars as Virgil Hilts, an impossibly cool American soldier with a history of attempting to escape from every prisoner-of-war camp he’s ever been sent to. Desperate to break free from the German officers who guard the camp, he spearheads a complex plan for him and his fellow POWs to tunnel their way to freedom. 

It doesn’t come easy, and the whole thing falls apart (figuratively and sometimes literally) half a dozen times over the course of the movie. But we’re rewarded by the captivating escape sequence, which has audiences on the edge of their seats even 60 years later. In the years since its release, "The Great Escape" has become an icon of the genre and is one of the most thrilling World War II movies ever made — even though it doesn’t show a second of actual combat.

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Jeffrey Wright is one of the most reliable actors working in Hollywood today, but he outdoes himself with an understated performance in "O.G." Wright plays a mild-mannered man who has spent the majority of his adult life behind bars for a murder he committed in his early 20s. At this point in his life, he knows the prison system better than the outside world and has found his place in it. But he has a problem that few would recognize as a problem: He’s just weeks away from being released. 

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In his last days in jail, he forms an attachment to a new inmate who has just been sentenced to 23 years for murder, and — perhaps seeing himself in this angry young man — attempts to guide him away from the prison gangs that will keep him entrenched in violence. Wright’s turn in the film defies expectations and makes "O.G." one of the more intimate and personal prison movies viewers are likely to see.

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Starring Michael Fassbender as Bobby Sands, "Hunger" is a disturbing look into the state of Northern Irish prisons run by the British during the Troubles, particularly in terms of their treatment of Irish Republican Army prisons. Sands, along with a number of his compatriots, participate in a hunger strike as part of a coordinated bid to have themselves and others like them recognized as political prisoners. 

"Hunger" is an uncompromising film, and it’s especially shocking to see Fassbender in the lead role as he physically transforms himself into a man who is literally starving to death. As a cinematic representation of a devastating moment in modern Irish history, "Hunger" is unrelentingly dedicated to its purpose.

Watch on AMC Plus (via Prime Video)

'The Shawshank Redemption'

In a lot of prison movies, there’s a focus on those who have been sent to prison under false pretenses. It is, after all, a little bit easier to root for a character who hasn’t committed the kind of crimes to earn them a serious sentence in a maximum security prison. But nowhere is that the case more than in "The Shawshank Redemption," adapted from a Stephen King novella and widely considered one of the best prison movies of all time. 

It stars Tim Robbins as Andy Dufresne, a mild-manner accountant who finds himself sent to jail for the murder of his wife and her lover — a crime he claims to be innocent of. Everyone says that, of course, but it might actually be true in Andy's case. Making friends with Red (Morgan Freeman), one of Shawshank’s most well-connected inmates, he carves out a place for himself in the jail community. But unlike many of his fellow convicts, who have been in prison so long they no longer know how to function in the outside world, Andy never stops dreaming of his eventual escape from Shawshank.

Rent/buy on Amazon or Apple

Released a handful of years after "The Great Escape" made Steve McQueen a star, "Papillon" sees the actor sent back to jail once again. This time, he plays a convicted murderer (wrongly convicted, mind you) who is sent to a penal colony work camp to serve out his life sentence. While there, he befriends a talented forger (Dustin Hoffman), and the two begin to hatch a plot to escape. After all, what do they have to lose? The jungle work camp is hardly the sort of environment they want to spend their retirement years in. 

"Papillon" is based on the autobiography of Henri Charrière, a Frenchman who detailed his experiences both in prison and after his escape — albeit with some embellishments. It was remade in 2017 starring Charlie Hunnam and Rami Malek, but for most fans, Steve McQueen’s 1973 film remains the definitive version.

Watch on Hoopla

'The Mustang'

Most American prisons seem designed to punish their inhabitants, dehumanizing them to the point where they often struggle to function once they’re released back into society. But once in a while, there’s a program that actually does a good job of rehabilitating inmates and reconnecting them to their humanity — that’s what "The Mustang" is about. 

Matthias Schoenaerts stars as a prisoner who reluctantly joins a program where inmates help train wild mustangs. Over the course of the film, he bonds with the horse he has been assigned and finds that the training program offers him a sense of purpose, channeling his intense emotions into something productive. There’s a kinship between him and his horse Marquis, parallels that run deep, which Schoenaerts brings to life in his magnetic lead performance.

Watch on Netflix

'American History X'

OK, so "American History X" doesn’t exclusively take place in prison. But the main character’s major narrative arc takes place within the four walls of a correctional facility, so we think it counts. Edward Norton stars as a vicious neo-Nazi who, after going to jail for killing two Black men trying to steal his truck, begins to realize how damaging and deeply misguided his racist beliefs are. 

When he’s released from prison a handful of years later, he’s almost a completely different person. But can he manage to keep his younger brother (Edward Furlong) from following in his footsteps and making the same mistakes he did? "American History X" may have an overly simplistic view of race relations — his years of searing hatred towards Black people is cured by just spending some time with a Black inmate — but it also features one of Norton’s most powerful performances to date.

Watch on Paramount Plus

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Audrey Fox is a features editor and film/television critic at Looper, with bylines at RogerEbert.com, The Nerdist, /Film, and IGN, amongst others. She has been blessed by our tomato overlords with their coveted seal of approval. Audrey received her BA in film from Clark University and her MA in International Relations from Harvard University. When she’s not watching movies, she loves historical non-fiction, theater, traveling, and playing the violin (poorly).

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A NIGHT BEHIND BARS: SHEPTON MALLET PRISON EXPERIENCE

Shepton Mallet prison closed in 2013 and since then has been open as a heritage site whilst developers wrangle over its future. People can take guided tours, do the escape rooms, go on ghost tours or join the ultimate experience, a 12 hour stay in the prison - allocated a cell and allowed to wander the darkened building throughout the night. A friend and I decided to give it a go, and have just returned from a night in the country's most haunted prison.

A Brief History of Shepton Mallet Prison

Shepton Mallet prison in Somerset was first opened in 1625 as a House of Correction. Conditions were terrible for the inmates, with men, women and children all mixed together, corruption and poor sanitation creating appalling living conditions with drunkeness, promiscuity and disease rife.

By the 1800s the new penal reform system led to the introduction of hard labour in prisons, with inmates forced to do back breaking tasks such as oakum picking or to walk on the treadwheel - the one at Shepton Mallet was one of the largest. The Silent and Separate System meant that inmates were kept apart with no one to talk to, to break their spirits as well as their bodies.

Shepton Mallet became the only jail in the county towards the end of the 19th century, and as public executions had been abolished in 1868, it became the site for local executions. The bodies of many of the executed remain there today under the tarmac.

The prison closed in 1930 due to a lack of inmates, but was opened again as a Glasshouse (military prison) in World War II, before it was taken over by the American Military in 1942. Over 700 US servicemen were held there, with 16 hanged and two killed by firing squad. One wing of the prison was retained by the British, who kept national treasures from the archives in it, the empty cells stacked with boxes containing items such as the Magna Carta and the Domesday Book.

After World War II, the British military took it back until 1966, when it became a civilian prison again. In 2001 it became a Cat-C prison for men at the end of their jail terms for serious offences such as arson and sex crimes, until it closed in 2013.

The prison now is in a sort of limbo. Developers want to turn it into flats, but as it is Grade II listed, they are limited with what they can do. The company currently leasing the prison are very much hoping that it will be able to remain as a heritage site and are currently running a variety of tours and activities to bring visitors in. There are guided tours, self-guided tours, late night tours and the ultimate experience, the Night Behind Bars.

The Night Behind Bars

Detailed instructions are emailed to you before arrival, what to bring, the rules, your cell allocation and a specific evening arrival time. There is a car park on site, which we eventually found after some miscommunication between our sat nav and the narrow roads of Shepton Mallet. Arriving slightly early, we watched as everyone slowly pulled up and parked, people getting out of their cars carrying sleeping bags, pillows, bags of food and nervous looks on their faces.

We made our way to the prison gates where we checked in and were directed to our cells on B-Wing. B-Wing is exactly how you imagine an old prison to look, with three floors of cells all on narrow walkways overlooking the suicide nets in between.

Our cell had one rusting metal bed screwed to the floor, a small loo and sink which were both out of action (there's no plumbing) and a small window, high up by the ceiling. Paint was peeling off the walls and the heavy metal door had had its lock removed. Not bothered by any of this, we dumped our stuff and set off to explore.

We wandered around part of the prison before heading back to our cell for the picnic we had brought with us, then to the bar for a few fortifying gin and tonics. Our official guided tour started at 10pm.

There were about 20 of us in our tour group, some dressed in bright orange prison jumpsuits which gave it an entertaining and slightly 'hen-party' air.

We were an eclectic mix of ghost hunters, couples looking for adventure and groups of friends out for a giggle.

Darkness gradually descended as we walked around, being told some fascinating facts about the history of the prison as well as the hauntings, of which there are many, and which I won't share here - you will have to go on the tour to hear them! We did discover however that the shower room, just a few doors down from our cell, was the site of a mass death, when four American servicemen were put in there overnight having just arrived in the prison. They stuffed a towel under the gap in the door and lit their gas lamp to play cards - the next day all four of them were dead.

My favourite story though was when we were in C-Wing, which had been used as the storage for the National Archives during the war. The archivist had lived there with his family for the duration and his kids had grown up not realising they were living in a prison, with hundreds of convicted felons just yards away. They would bounce around on the suicide nets using them as trampolines and would fall asleep listening to the military prisoners singing gospel music every night (nearly all the US military prisoners were African Americans), thinking it was the music of angels.

After the tour, we were able to explore the prison on our own. Setting off with just torches, we then spent the next few hours wandering around the place. It was very dark and ominous, with the peeling paint, rusting patches and ever present black mould in so many of the rooms we saw making the prison far more macabre than it was when we had briefly seen it in daylight.

We wandered through the cells and corridors, the hospital infirmary complete with mannequins and bloodied sheets, the kitchens with their shiny new equipment bought just before the prison closed, the guard's offices which were the only places with carpeting, the power points for their computers looking completely incongruous against the rest of the prison.

We loved the exercise yard which was very atmospheric with its overgrown flower beds, looking out for the ghost that is meant to be seen on the roof. In the middle of one of England's heatwaves, the black sky was filled with stars, the heat palpable even in the middle of the night.

It was while sitting in the exercise yard about 3am, that a group of teenagers came running out of A-Wing yelling 'Did you see her, did you see the White Lady?'

In a state of high panic they asked us to go back with them and so we did - I was convinced they were just trying to wind up us oldies, but my friend thought it would be a laugh, so we sat with them, torches off, in the pitch black of A-Wing listening for the stones they thought that the White Lady had thrown, or the footsteps from the walkways above us.

If they were trying to wind us up they managed to sustain it for quite some time, and were so agitated that at one point I heroically walked down the pitch black corridor on my own, shining my torch into the open cells and bravely declaring 'Nope, nothing here'.

We met quite a few people that night - there were some serious ghost hunters there with equipment looking for paranormal activity. People were asking if anyone had 'felt' anything in any of the rooms, and the ghost hunters would head straight off to find it for themselves. There was an interesting older gentleman on his own, clearly a regular, and he seemed to have an extensive knowledge of the prison and its former occupants.

Death row was quite harrowing - a series of cells in a row in which the condemned man would stay, moving down the line until he got closer and closer to the final cell. This cell was nicer than the others and had a large bookcase in one wall. It wasn't until the day of their death that the inmate would realise that behind this bookcase was a hidden door to the gallows.

They would take just a few paces out of their cell into the tiny room where they would be hanged, their bodies ending up in the room below, where they would be left for an hour then taken into the morgue right opposite. The morgue was quite a creepy room at night, with a mannequin cadaver under a sheet to really add to the impact.

We worked our way through the segregation unit, the drug testing rooms, the old guardhouse with its boiling hot top floor and crawled through a hole in the wall to the wood panelled cell from the 1600s which had recently been found.

Our narrow torch beams would pick out odd details in our surroundings; crumbling walls, plants growing through cracks, barbed wire glinting in the weak light.

We sat in the cell where the Kray Twins were held for assaulting a police officer while they were on National Service in the 50s, having been transferred from the Tower of London . A sign showed us that someone taking a selfie on their bed had seen a mysterious hand in the back of their photo, so we took a few selfies too. Sadly there was no hand, just our slightly startled faces laughing nervously in the dark.

The darkness around us in the prison was profound at times. The myriad of corridors, stairs that went nowhere, tiny rooms with no windows, metal bars and those exceptionally high prison walls all created an intense experience, and the watery torch beams caused shadows and shapes to emerge and disappear; you saw movement out of the corner of your eye that vanished under the beam.

As dawn finally arrived, people started making their way back to their cells; we heard the slamming of doors and silence soon settled on B-Wing.

Boiling in my sleeping bag on my slowly deflating air mattress, I think I managed about an hours sleep as I watched the light from the tiny window move across the cell.

We were woken with a huge noise and a bellowed 'Get up inmates' at 7am, and had an hour to get food and pack up. We took the chance to explore parts of the prison again, which looked benign and almost welcoming in the early morning sunshine.

The prison is a very different place in the sunlight

It was with some exhaustion but also a feeling of having had a highly entertaining and memorable experience that we all trooped through the gates and back to the car park, people waving goodbye to their new friends before setting off through those narrow lanes to home and a comfy bed.

SHEPTON MALLET: A NIGHT BEHIND BARS

How to get to shepton mallet prison.

Postcode: BA4 5FQ

what3words: deeds.voltages.appealed (prison car park)

Public Transport : Castle Cary train station is 15 minutes away and you can get a taxi or a bus to the prison. Get bus 1, 1A or 1C.

Parking: The prison car park is at the top of Frithfield Lane and is open from 10am until 5:00pm, or later for the Night Behind Bars experience. It costs £3.00 to park. The closest public car parks are located on Great Ostry BA4 5DB and Old Market Rd, BA4 5DX (500 metres).

How much does it cost to spend a Night Behind Bars?

The cost is £54 per person.

Are there any facilities at Shepton Mallet Prison?

There is a small café for snacks and hot drinks throughout the visit. Alcohol is served until 10pm. The loos were near the shop area which is down a few flights of stairs and in a different building from the cells. There are no shower facilities. Most people just slept in their clothes, if they slept at all.

Useful tips for spending a Night Behind Bars

There are staff on site all through the night, wandering around making sure everyone is ok and answering any questions.

It is for over 18 only.

There are lots of information boards around the prison to ensure you know where you are and what the rooms were used for.

Official Website >>

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Crumlin Road Gaol Experience, Events, Weddings & Venue Hire

Visitor Attraction Northern Ireland

CRUMLIN ROAD GAOL TOURS

SELF-GUIDED GAOL EXPERIENCE

Discover over 150 years of history and follow in the footsteps of over 25,000 prisoners as you make the journey through Northern Ireland’s only remaining Victorian Era prison. The interactive self-guided tour will allow you to explore the building’s colourful past and gain a unique and memorable insight into the daily lives and routines of both prisoners and prison officers over the Gaol’s existence, learning about the Gaol’s history including when women and children were imprisoned, the executions that were carried out, its more recent history and learn about why the decision was taken to close the prison.

“Self-Guided Crumlin Road Gaol Experience” is a unique self-guided tour, which includes video, audio, and holograms throughout the site.

As part of your visit, you will have the opportunity to explore different areas of the Gaol including:

• The Tunnel.
• Historic Holding Cells.
• Gaol Circle.
• Condemned Cell.
• Hangman’s Cell.
• Sanger / Matrons House.
• Wessex Helicopter

You will gain a unique and memorable insight into the daily lives and routines of both prisoners and staff.

View Experience Map

Opening / Closing Times 

First Admission: 10:00am

Last Admission: 4:00pm

AUDIO GUIDES AVAILABLE IN: FRENCH, GERMAN, MANDARIN & SPANISH

English also available, however is not essential for the self-guided tour.

Please note when using the audio guides, card details will be required on arrival.

SIGN LANGUAGE VIDEO GUIDES AVAILABLE IN: BSL

Sign Language guides are free of charge for anyone who needs them.

Please note when using the sign language guides, card details will be required on arrival.

INFORMATION AND TERMS

• Suitable warm clothing and flat shoes must be worn.
• The main entrance to the Gaol is via the Gate House on the Crumlin Road.
• Coaches & Cars may enter the site via the Summer Street entrance and follow the appropriate traffic management signs.
• Admission tickets can be purchased on the day but we advise pre-booking to avoid disappointment.
• We recommend that you arrive at least 10 to 15 minutes prior to the tour time, to enable tickets to be checked or to be purchased (non-groups).

*60-90 minute duration based on visitors exploring all areas of the Gaol, reading the information boards and watching the videos around the site.

For groups of 15 people or more, please email our group booking team at [email protected] or contact their office on 02890741500

Please note all tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable 

📣Please note: Shrewsbury Prison will be closed 27th - 29th September for The Shrewsbury Tattoo Convention!📣 Find out more

Self-Guided Tour

Home / Self-Guided Tour

EXPLORE AT YOUR OWN PACE

If you’re looking for a unique day out, you've come to the right place! Our Self-Guided Tour lets you explore the whole prison at your own leisure, making it the ideal experience for families with young children.

Tour Overview

Explore Behind Bars

You’ll be given a visitor guide and a map of the prison. As you explore, use the sound boxes and information boards to learn the facts and history of the prison . During your Self-Guided Tour, take photos and capture ‘CELLfies’ as you soak up the unique atmosphere of this fascinating Victorian building.

Don’t forget, our staff are always available to point you in the right direction and answer any questions you may have during your time behind bars.

There is so much to explore…

Reception : This is where all prisoners were processed. Here, you’ll see the BOSS chair (Body Orifice Security Scanner).

Healthcare : The facility where medical needs of prisoners were met.

Exercise Yards : See where prisoners could go for daily exercise and fresh air. Uncover intriguing facts, such as why was netting placed over the main exercise yard and did prisoners always walked in a clockwise direction?

Segregation : Where prisoners were isolated from the rest of the prison population.

Executioner’s Bedroom : The room where executioners, such as Albert Pierrepoint, would have slept the night before their duties.

A full day out

Why not take a break from your Self-Guided Tour and visit our on-site restaurant ? Whether you’re in the mood for a delicious cake, a warming coffee or a hot meal, you’ll find that prison food has never tasted so good!

Finish your trip with a visit to our museum and gift shop , where you can pick up Shrewsbury Prison memorabilia, so you never forget your time behind bars.

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Mon-Sun: 10am-5pm

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How to get Kylie UK tour tickets as first Tickemaster pre-sale kicks off today

Getting a ticket to see Kylie Minogue – I Should Be So Lucky! Thankfully, we're here to help you out.

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Want some good news? Kylie Minogue is heading on a world tour next year! Want some even better news? She'll be hitting up nine different venues across the UK.

The Tension 25 tour is set to be Kylie's biggest tour in a decade, with the pop star covering Australia and Asia before heading to the UK.

Kylie's backstory truly is the stuff of legend. The Australian star first rose to prominence thanks to her performance in the iconic soap opera Neighbours, along with fellow big Ozzie name Jason Donovan .

Kylie left the soap in 1988, embarking on a career that would see her embrace as many musical eras as Taylor Swift. She started off with classic '80s bubblegum pop, featuring catchy tracks like The Loco-Motion and I Should Be So Lucky.

From there, she moved on to encorpoarting elements of house and Eurodance, with tracks like Better The Devil You Know, before exploring disco on her 2001 album Fever.

More like this

In 2005, Kylie was diagnosed with breast cancer and decided to take a break from her music career to rest and recover before returning in 2008 with club and dance-orientated tracks like Wow.

Synthpop continued to influence her career, and most recently Kylie has turned back towards disco with tracks like Real Groove and dance-pop with Padam Padam, the chart-topping hit which was the top 2023 track on more than one RadioTimes.com member's Spotify Wrapped...

Kylie's hard work and versatility hasn't gone unnoticed. The Princess of Pop has received a Grammy award, three BRIT awards, two MTV VMA awards and more, as well as selling over '80 million records worldwide.

We just know you're dying to see Kylie live – it's In Your Eyes. Read on for everything you need to know.

Buy Kylie Minogue tickets at Ticketmaster

Kylie's not the only one heading on tour next year. Check out our guides to how to get Dua Lipa tickets , Chase and Status tickets , and how to get Teddy Swims tickets .

What are the Kylie Minogue UK tour dates and venues for 2025?

When do kylie minogue uk tour tickets go on sale, will there be a kylie minogue uk tour 2025 pre-sale, how to get kylie minogue uk tour 2025 hospitality tickets, how to get kylie minogue uk tour tickets as pre-sale goes live.

Kylie will be gracing UK fans with her presence across nine different venues next May. Below, we've written out the full list of dates and arenas.

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Full list of Kylie Minogue dates and venues:

• 16th May 2025 — Glasgow, OVO Hydro
• 17th May 2025 — Newcastle Upon Tyne, Utilita Arena Newcastle
• 19th May 2025 — Manchester, AO Arena
• 22nd May 2025 — Liverpool, M&S Bank Arena Liverpool
• 23rd May 2025 — Sheffield, Utilita Arena Sheffield
• 26th May 2025 — London, The O2
• 27th May 2025 — London, The O2
• 30th May 2025 — Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena Nottingham
• 31st May 2025 — Birmingham, bp pulse LIVE

General sale tickets will be released at 10am on Friday 27th September .

There are a number of pre-sales on offer for those who want to snag tickets earlier. Here's a list of pre-sale times and the shows they're applicable to:

• Artist pre-sale (10am on Wednesday 25th September until 9am on Friday 27th September): Glasgow, Manchester, Sheffield
• OVO pre-sale (10am on Wednesday 25th September until 9am on Friday 27th September): Glasgow
• Three pre-sale (10am on Wednesday 25th September until 9am on Friday 27th September): Manchester
• Amex pre-sale (10am on Wednesday 25th September until 9am on Friday 27th September): Manchester, Sheffield
• Venue pre-sale (10am on Thursday 26th September until 9am on Friday 27th September): Glasgow, Manchester, Sheffield
• Ticketmaster pre-sale (10am on Thursday 26th September until 9am on Friday 27th September): Glasgow, Sheffield
• AEG pre-sale (10am on Thursday 26th September until 9am on Friday 27th September): Newcastle Upon Tyne, London (26th), London (27th), Birmingham
• Spotify pre-sale (10am on Thursday 26th September until 9am on Friday 27th September): London (26th), Birmingham

Whether you want to treat yourself to an elevated experience, or you simply want to be in with a better chance of actually getting your hands on a Kylie ticket — any Kylie ticket — hospitality tickets could be the best option for you.

There are a number of hospitality packages available on Seat Unique, with a range of benefits including food and drinks packages,

• Buy Kylie Minogue hospitality tickets at Seat Unique

Demand is expected to be very high for the Tension tour, so be sure to get online well before tickets on sale. Having your Ticketmaster login details handy will help make sure you don't waste any time.

Luckily for you, we've got more tips in our how to beat the Ticketmaster queue guide.

For more of the inside scoop on concerts, here's our guide to how to beat the Ticketmaster queue , how to get cheap concert tickets and how to avoid booking fees .

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🎃Trick or Treat! Find out which you will get on our Halloween Ghost Tours🎃 Find Out More

HALLOWEEN GHOST TOUR - HEAR THE CHILLING STORIES

ESCAPE ROOMS - BREAK FREE FROM A REAL PRISON CELL

NIGHT BEHIND BARS - EXPERIENCE A NIGHT LOCKED UP

As featured in

Guided Tour

During your tour, an expert guide who will shine a light on what life was really like for prisoners, officers and visitors. This no-holds-barred tour will bring this historic and captivating building to life.

The Cell Escape Room

The Cell is a fully immersive, state-of-the-art escape room, where you get to do the time without committing the crime! Experience the pulse racing, adrenaline-charged rush of The Cell.

Self-Guided Tour

If you’re looking for a day out with a difference, you’re in the right place. Our Self-Guided Tour lets you explore the whole prison at your leisure, making it the perfect day out for families with young children.

Paranormal Investigations

Ghost Hunting, or Paranormal Investigations as they're more commonly known, run regularly at Shepton Mallet Prison. These events are for the faint of heart!

NEWS & ARTICLES

Celebrating black history month at shepton mallet prison.

Shepton Mallet Prison is proud to showcase a FREE Black History Month exhibition, running throughout the entire month of October. Plus, don’t miss the prison’s upcoming ‘Evening Behind Bars’ event for an evening of reflection and stories.   AN IMPORTANT AND MOVING EXHIBITION You’re invited to an important and moving exhibition, which will explore the […]

Embark On A Ghost Tour Unlike Any Other This Halloween At Shepton Mallet Prison

Get ready for a hair-raising Halloween Ghost Tour this spooky season! Brace yourself as one of our expert guides leads you through The World’s Most Haunted Prison. Will the light from your torch be enough to keep your wits about you? There’s only one way to find out…   Face Your Fears This Halloween As […]

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Shepton Mallet Prison, Frithfield Lane, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 5FQ

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