Shrewsbury Prison
The site of Shrewsbury Prison, no longer in operation today, has been a prison since 1793. It operated for centuries, and, in 2005, was named the most overcrowded prison in England and Wales. In 2013, the prison was up for closure and was bought by developers in 2014. Many expected it to be converted to apartments or offices or something of that ilk. But, it seems restless spirits and bad luck prevented that. Today, it is open for tours and is considered a haunted destination.
On the blog, we’ve covered several different prisons and jails that are said to be haunted. And, it’s no surprise that these structures are often believed to be rampant with ghosts due to the suffering, crime, and, as the kids say, generations of “bad vibes.” But why has Shrewsbury persisted in the minds of so many in the UK?
You see, Shrewsbury wasn't a particularly big prison (it's capacity was less than 200) and not that many infamous prisoners walked its halls. Shrewsbury was infamous for executions, and, in particular, public execution. Shrewsbury drew huge crowds, sold souvenirs, and paraded the prisoners for all to see. It's last public hanging occured in 1868. On April 9th, John Mapp, 35 at the time of his death, was publicly hung for the murder of a 9 year old girl. While executions did continue, they were no longer public and ceased in 1961.
But, it was what happened after Shrewsbury began rennovations when rumors really began to swirl. In 1972, during modernization efforts, the remains of ten different prisoners of executed prisoners were discovered. Nine of those prisoners were never identified and were creameated. One former prisoner was identified as George Riley, and his remains were given to his remaining family. It begs the question...did disturbing these prisoners final resting place kick up activity at Shrewsbury...or was something always there?
As mentioned earlier, since the mid 2010s the prison has served as a dark tourism destination. Those who go on tours often encounter disemodied voices, footsteps, and noise from the empty cells that cannot be explained.
There are some frequently seen spectres that folks report. For example, there is something people often refer to as the Shadow Man. It is a featureless man made seemingly of shadows. It is an ominous and repressive being. And, it isn’t the first we have heard about in haunted prisons. The USA’s Manfield Reformatory is also said to have a shadow man of similar description. Which makes you wonder…is this the faint impression of a former inmate, or a creature drawn to places like this.
Thanks to Lena for the blogstonishing suggestion!
The header image depicts Inside A Wing at Shrewsbury Prison, taken in 2005 by Josephine Beasley. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
