Ghosts of Shrewsbury Prison

Are the ghosts of Shrewsbury Prison the many souls who executed here and still remain buried within the walls of this harrowing location? With many bangs being heard in the corridors, cell doors crashing shut and people wailing it is not surprising that it has become such a popular location for Haunted Happenings ghost hunters

People were hung here and part of the hanging involved somebody having to pull down on the victims feet whilst choking to death by the hangmans noose. The evidence of these public executions is still there today and many people report the sighting of somebody looking out of the window or the room where the executions took place. There are areas that look quite normal but then again there are areas that look horrific and the combination of these two areas is disorientating and confusing. 

History of Shrewsbury Prison

HM Prison Shrewsbury was a Category B/C men's prison in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England and closed for good in March 2013. The former prison site, on Howard Street, adjacent to Shrewsbury railway station, is near the site of the Dana Gaol, a medieval prison.

There has been a prison on the site since 1793, the original building being constructed by Thomas Telford to plans by Shrewsbury architect John Hiram Haycock; the present prison building was constructed in 1877. The prison took female convicts until 1922

The name The Dana is still often used for the prison, as well as being the name of the road to one side of the prison and the pedestrian route that runs from near the front of the prison into the town centre via a footbridge over the station. The now disused platform 8 at the station is masked from the opposite platform by a high wall which was used for transporting prisoners between 1868 and the First World War. A bust of prison reformer John Howard is above the main entrance to the prison. The street leading up to the prison from the main road is also named after him.

Between 1902 and 1961 there were several executions by hanging at Shrewsbury Prison.HMP Shrewsbury for the crime of murder:-
Richard Wigley aged 34 yrs on Tuesday, 18 March 1902 (Mary Ellen Bowen [girlfriend])
William Griffiths aged 57 yrs on Tuesday, 24 July 1923 (Catherine Hughes [mother])
Frank Griffin aged 40 yrs on Thursday, 4 January 1951 (Jane Edge)
Harry Huxley aged 43 yrs on Tuesday, 8 July 1952 (Ada Royce [girlfriend])
Donald Neil Simon aged 32 years on Thursday, 23 October 1952 (Eunice Simon [estranged wife] & Victor Brades [her lover])
Desmond Donald Hooper aged 27 yrs on Tuesday, 26 January 1954 (Betty Smith)
George Riley aged 21 yrs on Thursday, 9 February 1961 (Adeline Mary Smith [neighbour])

In almost every case the murder victim was female. Executions took place at 8.00 am and all executed prisoners were buried in unmarked graves inside the prison. These since have been dug up and the remains dealt with. The four executions which took place during the 1950s were all conducted by Albert Pierrepoint and his assistant. The last execution in 1961 was conducted by Harry Allen and his assistant. In February 2014 the Ministry of Justice stated that the remains of ten executed prisoners were exhumed from the prison in 1972, cremated at a local crematorium and the ashes scattered there.

In September 2004, Member of Parliament George Stevenson called for an enquiry into the amount of suicides which had occurred at Shrewsbury Prison. This came after 3 inmates had hanged themselves at the jail in 2 weeks. There are suicide cells where these men would have been held under close watch, but obviously not close enough.

A report in 2005 named Shrewsbury prison as the most overcrowded in England and Wales. In August 2008 a further report stated that the prison had 178 places in use but held 326 inmates - an overcrowding rate of 183%. A report in June 2012 by the Prison Reform Trust awarded Shrewsbury second place in England and Wales for overcrowding, holding 326 prisoners in space designed for 170 men, a figure exceeded only by Kennet in Liverpool at the time. In 1934, the prison had contained the larger number of 204 cells.

HMP Shrewsbury, HMP Gloucester, HMP Shepton Mallet and HMP Lancaster are four abandoned prisons with a chilling history of suffering, misery and execution where many of the condemned remain, buried within the walls of these harrowing locations.

Your Event Includes

• Includes teas and coffees
• Use of ghost hunting equipment including EMF Meters, K2 Meters etc.
• Experiments including glass divination, table tipping and Ouija Boards.
• Workshop and separate vigils for returning guests.
• Ghost hunting vigils and séances in small groups.

Address, Maps & Hotels

Address & Hotel Information

HMP Shrewsbury The Dana Shrewsbury Shropshire SY1 2HR

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Parking

• Street Parking and Local Car Parks

Map & Directions

Information

Accessibility

• This location is not suitable for wheelchair users
• This location is not suitable for people with mobility issues or walking difficulties

Important

• All attendees must be 18 years or older
• All attendees must bring a torch
• Wear sensible shoes and warm layered clothing as the location may get cold at night