Staff Ghost Stories

Do You Believe in the Paranormal? Shepton Mallet Prison Staff Ghost Stories

With Halloween fast approaching, we asked our team to share their most eerie encounters from inside the haunted walls of Shepton Mallet Prison and our sister attraction, Shrewsbury Prison. From unexplained voices to vanishing figures, these ghost stories may leave you questioning what really lurks behind bars…

The Locked Office

‘’One night after closing, I walked past the hallway near the Attraction Manager’s office. I heard laughter, followed by the sound of a man speaking on the phone. The strange thing was that door was padlocked from the outside, yet a light glowed inside.

Curious, I went to check the Governor’s office. Every light was off, the place silent. The next day, I discovered the Attraction Manager had been on holiday. So… who was laughing?”

Haunting in the Hard Labour Yard

‘’One night around 3:30 a.m., I was locking up after a paranormal shift, long after everyone had gone home. With no torch and a dead phone, I stepped into the Hard Labour Yard. About 10 meters ahead, I saw a tall shadowy figure, seemingly a gentlemen in a top hat.

I thought surely my eyes were playing tricks on me. I circled it nervously, giving it a wide berth. When I glanced back, it was gone – vanished into the darkness.

Later, I learnt the area is infamous for hauntings, including a night watchman who was known to have tormented some of the night staff in the 1970s and reports of unseen forces pushing people down one of the sets of stairs.’’

The Music Box Mystery

‘’Just as I was about to leave, I heard an usual sound coming from the sales office – a sound I’d never heard there before. It sounded like fairground music or a child’s toy suddenly springing to life. Curious, I stepped inside. The moment I entered, the music stopped.

The office was spotless, and after a thorough search, I found nothing that could have played that eerie tune. In daylight or a different setting, I might have appreciated the jingle, but in the dim winter gloom of a building once used for public executions, it was unsettling.

I still wonder what I interrupted that evening. To this day, the mystery remains.’’

Whether you’re joining us for a Guided Tour, spending a full 12-hour overnight stay on a Night Behind Bars or using specialised equipment during Ghost Hunting Behind Bars, you may just encounter something unexplained within Shrewsbury Prison.

Curious? Intrigued? A little scared? Book your visit today… if you dare!