As a Victorian slammer built on top of an old Georgian one, Shrewsbury Prison can be a spooky spot to explore even on a bright summer's day. Those who believe in ghouls and ghosts claim to have seen spirits wandering between the cells, in the underground tunnels and in its execution room.
Brave souls looking for something extraordinary to do this Halloween season can take an evening ghost tour at a place that housed prisoners right up until 2013. Murderers were hanged there for their crimes, right up until 1961, and countless others lived out their sentences in its cold cells.
For those with extra gumption, you can sleep over at the haunted prison, which was used to lock up prisoners right up until 2013. Paranormal investigators have spent time behind the tall walls of the prison, taking ouija boards and seeing which tormented spirits want to communicate from beyond the veil - the Most Haunted team will be spending the night on November 10 and you can join them.
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The Most Haunted sleepovers differ slightly in that they're run by Most Haunted and not directly by the prison. They claim that they've had guests leave early due to being very scared, while others have reported hearing bangs and voices in their cell, driving them to huddle together in the base room.
One visitor reported having her name whispered in her ear as she settled down to sleep while another was touched on her leg as she lay on her sleeping bag. Others, who crept around at night, said they heard footsteps following them through the rooms and wings.
The prison is hosting its own sleepover on October 20 but while it's fully booked, more are to be announced for weekends throughout 2024. Only those over the age of 18 are permitted to take part in the sleepovers. Book on and you'll be met by prison staff in the evening before being led into the prison through huge wooden gates and put into your old, traditional Victorian cell.
You'll get a tour of the jail, visiting multiple wings, themed cells and the segregation unit - complete with strip cell - before being shown the execution room. Then, you're on your own (though staff will be around to answer questions and maintain order).
There's free time to explore the prison or if you want to go and try to get some sleep on your bunk, you need to take your own blow-up mattress and bedding to keep warm. Make some new prison mates (alive or, perhaps not) and play games to pass your time in the nick.
The prison kitchen serves hot meals and snacks and there's a licensed bar too, so no need to sneak in contraband or whip up any moonshine. That's open until 10pm.
The wake-up call comes early, though there's fresh coffee and breakfast included. The gates will open in the morning for you to return to your real, free life.
While there are limited dates for sleepovers this year, night tours take place throughout the year but there are more evening slots scheduled for the run-up to Halloween, which are £25 per person. Kids over 12 can go too, if they dare.
