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Hear the best stories of Shepton Mallet

The stories of Shepton Mallet Prison go back centuries. On a guided tour, you'll get to discover them for yourself. 

During the prison 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!

The guided tour, led by a guide with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the prison’s history will 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!

Your tour will include...

• A tour of two traditional Victorian Prison wings. B Wing, the largest wing, had the capacity to hold 94 prisoners as of 2001 but experienced much overcrowding in the years before. C Wing was purpose built in 1848 to hold women and children into the early 1900s  but played an important and top secret role during WWII.
• Wander the landing as officers did for 400 years and discover what it was like to be locked behind the steel doors!
• Next, you will head to the Hard Labour Yard to learn about the hard and often pointless forms of hard labour implemented during the 1800s to keep prisoners from idleness.
• The Tread Wheel building can also be seen from here; one of the most physically demanding forms of Victorian Hard Labour known to the prisoner population.

Ready to get exploring? Get your tickets now!