Shrewsbury Prison
The Story
Shrewsbury Prison was built in 1793 to a design by Thomas Telford — the same engineer responsible for much of the infrastructure of the Welsh Marches. It was built on The Dana, a strip of ground alongside Shrewsbury Castle at the neck of the river loop, and it operated as a working prison for over two hundred years.
The last prisoners left in 2013. The building was handed over almost exactly as it stood. No renovation, no softening. The cells are as they were. The exercise yards are as they were. The condemned block, where prisoners awaited execution, is as it was. In a country where heritage attractions tend to present history at a comfortable remove, Shrewsbury Prison presents it directly.
The site now runs day tours, guided tours, ghost tours, escape room experiences and overnight stays. The range reflects the building's versatility as an attraction — it is genuinely atmospheric in daylight and genuinely unsettling after dark.
The prison closed in 2013 and barely anything has been touched since. The landings are intact, the cells are intact and the condemned block is intact. That level of preservation is rare. Whether you come for the history or the ghost tours, the Dana delivers in a way that most heritage attractions do not.
Enjoy Your Visit
The Dana runs alongside Shrewsbury Castle, about ten minutes on foot from The Square via Castle Street. The prison entrance is on The Dana itself. There is limited street parking nearby — the town centre car parks on Raven Meadows are the better option.
Adults £15, children £10, concessions £13. Open daily 10am–5pm. The self-guided route takes around two hours and covers the main landings, exercise yards, cells and condemned block at your own pace. The audio guides and information boards are well-produced.
From £17 per person. Weekdays at 2:30pm, weekends and bank holidays at 10:30am, 12:30pm and 2:30pm. Ninety minutes with a guide who knows the building's history in detail. Worth the extra cost if you want the context rather than just the atmosphere.
Every Wednesday at 6:30pm and 8:30pm. £25 per person, ninety minutes. The prison's reputation for paranormal activity draws a following of its own. Booking in advance is essential — these sell out regularly.
Night Behind Bars is a 12-hour overnight stay for adults (£69pp). Ghost Hunting Behind Bars is a 6.5-hour evening investigation (£55pp). The prison escape room runs on selected dates at £69pp. All require advance booking through shrewsburyprison.com.
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