Bodmin Jail (alternatively Bodmin Gaol) is a historic former prison situated in Bodmin, on the edge of Bodmin Moor in

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

. Built in 1779 and closed in 1927, a large range of buildings fell into ruin, but parts of the prison have been turned into a tourist attraction, and more recently another large part was converted into a hotel.

History

Bodmin Gaol was designed by Sir John Call and built in 1779 by prisoners of war, and was operational for 150 years, in which it saw over 50 public

hanging Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging ...

s. It was the first British prison to hold prisoners in individual cells. The jail closed in 1927. Since that date, there has been no prison within the county of Cornwall. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the prison was used for holding some of Britain's national treasures including the

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manus ...

and the

Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom The Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, originally the Crown Jewels of England, are a collection of royal ceremonial objects kept in the Tower of London which include the coronation regalia and vestments worn by British monarchs. Symbols of ov ...

Today

Bodmin Jail is now a hotel as of 2021 and after redevelopment that started in 2015, Bodmin Jail Limited now operates as a museum, gift shop and hosts guided tours at the site.

Ghosts

Bodmin Jail has inspired many ghost stories, attracted

paranormal Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. Not ...

researchers, and ghost walk events are held for tourists there. Series 6, Episode 1 of ''

Most Haunted ''Most Haunted'' is a British paranormal reality television series. Following complaints, the broadcast regulator, Ofcom, ruled that it was an entertainment show, not a legitimate investigation into the paranormal, and "should not be taken ser ...

'', a British-made reality TV show, saw the crew attempt their paranormal activities at the jail with presenter

Yvette Fielding Yvette Paula Fielding (born 23 September 1968) is an English television presenter, producer and actress. She became the youngest presenter on ''Blue Peter'' aged 18, and one of her episodes was subsequently voted the "Favourite ''Blue Peter'' mom ...

and

medium Medium may refer to: Science and technology Aviation *Medium bomber, a class of war plane *Tecma Medium, a French hang glider design Communication * Media (communication), tools used to store and deliver information or data * Medium of ...

Derek Acorah Derek Francis Johnson (27 January 1950 – 4 January 2020), known professionally as Derek Acorah, was a British spiritual medium. He was best known for his television work on ''Most Haunted'', broadcast on Living TV (2002–2010). His career ...

. After many unsuccessful attempts, the team supposedly made contact with many light and sound entities, whilst Acorah claimed to have been possessed by a spirit named Kreed Kafer, a

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

n. It was later revealed that "Kreed Kafer" was a fictional character, who was created purely by parapsychologist and crew member Ciarán O'Keeffe, to test Derek Acorah and his abilities. The name was created because it was an anagram of the phrase 'Derek Faker'.Spooky Truth: TV's Most Haunted Con Exposed - Mirror.Co.Uk
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Notable former inmates

* F. Digby Hardy, inmate of the naval prison

References

External links

History of Bodmin Gaol from theprison.org.ukBodmin Jail Official Webpage
{{Prisons in South West England Bodmin Prisons in Cornwall Museums in Cornwall 1779 establishments in England 1927 disestablishments in England Reportedly haunted locations in South West England Prison museums in the United Kingdom Defunct prisons in England Debtors' prisons