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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!
Frithfield Ln,
Shepton Mallet,
Somerset BA4 5FQ
How To Find Us
By car:
There is a car park on-site, so if you’re driving, you can park there.
Detailed instructions are usually emailed to visitors before arrival, including rules, cell allocation, and specific evening arrival times.
By train:
If you’re arriving by train, the nearest station is Shepton Mallet. From there, you can take a taxi or a bus to the prison.
Taxi services like Swift Taxis, Regal Taxis, and Mum’s Taxis operate between the station and the prison.
By bus:
The bus service runs hourly, and you can catch buses numbered 1, 1A, or 1C1.
The Guided Tour lasts for approx. 1.5 hours. During this time, you are welcome to spend time before, after or both exploring the site.
For our Self Guided Tours, we recommend you allow between 1.5 and 2 hours but you are welcome to spend as long as you like exploring the prison!
Yes, there is a small prison car park (charge £3.50) and Great Ospry pay and display car park is nearby.