Guided Prison Tour at Shrewsbury Prison with Optional Lunch

Today we have the opportunity to have a look around a recently closed prison. Shrewsbury Prison was only decommissioned in March 2013 and has largely remained unchanged. Shockingly, the last execution held at the prison was as recent as 1961. The prison has been used for various films and tv series. Most recently it was the prison used in the Channel 4 programme 'Banged Up' a reality tv programme showing celebrities experiencing life behind bars with ex offenders.

During our tour today, a Prison Officer will shine a light on what life was like for prisoners, officers and visitors. Bringing the prison to life through a no-holds-barred tour of this historic and fascinating building: Explore two traditional Victorian Prison wings: A Wing consists of 172 cells built to house 350 men. C Wing consist of 22 cells originally designed to house female prisoners until 1921. Wander the landing as officers did for 200 years and discover what it was like to be locked behind the steel doors.

ARRIVING AT THE PRISON…Reception where all prisoners entering or leaving the prison were processed. Here you will see the BOSS chair (Body Orifice Security Scanner). Walk the two exercise yards, both bound by the foreboding high prison walls. Learn the real facts, why was netting placed over the main exercise yard? And is it true that prisoners always walked in a clockwise direction? Healthcare, see where prisoners queued for their medication and where drug and alcohol addiction programmes were administered. Visits, the only place within the prison walls where prisoners can meet with people from outside the jail. Learn about the number of visits a prisoner was entitled to, how long visits would last and why this area had the highest level of security and scrutiny within the prison.

EXECUTION…Explore the Executioner’s bedroom, where many an executioner spent the night before sending the condemned man through the drop. Albert Pierrepoint would have stayed in this very room. View where the condemned man had his cell, where he would have spent his last days before being hanged. The Execution Room, one of the darkest places within the prison due to its previous usage. A total of eight men lost their lives in this room after committing horrendous crimes. Learn about George Riley the last man to be executed at Shrewsbury Prison in 1961. Hear the stories of how executions happened, why public executions were outlawed and why The Death Penalty was removed altogether in 1965. And what made Albert Pierrepoint the world’s most well-known executioner?

Our tour will last around 1.5 hours.

Please note that this will only be a Spice exclusive tour if we get enough people booked onto the event. Small numbers will mean that we join a public tour. UPDATE: we now have enough people to make this a Spice exclusive tour!!

After our tour we will stop for some lunch in the on site restaurant.