![5](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/5._A_Wing.jpg)
HM Prison Shrewsbury was a
Category B/C men's prison in
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'Sh ...
,
Shropshire
Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to th ...
, England. It was decommissioned in March 2013, and is now open to the public.
The Victorian prison as seen today sits on top of the original Georgian prison, the remains of which are still accessible underneath the current buildings. The former prison site, on Howard Street, adjacent to
Shrewsbury railway station
Shrewsbury railway station is in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. Built in 1848, it was designated a grade II listed building in 1969.
The station is north west of Birmingham New Street. Many services starting at or passing through the stati ...
, is near the site of the Dana Gaol, a medieval prison. 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.
Shrewsbury Prison is now open to the public as an interactive tourism destination, The Campbell Group runs guided tours, ghost tours and various activities throughout the 4 acre-site. The prison will continue to operate as a tourism destination and there are now no plans for re-development.
History
There has been a prison on the site since 1793, the original building being constructed by
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE, (9 August 1757 – 2 September 1834) was a Scottish civil engineer. After establishing himself as an engineer of road and canal projects in Shropshire, he designed numerous infrastructure projects in his native Scotla ...
to plans by Shrewsbury architect
John Hiram Haycock
John Hiram Haycock (1759-1830) was an architect who built many notable buildings in Shropshire and Montgomeryshire. He was the son of William Haycock (1725-1802), a carpenter and joiner of Shrewsbury. He was apprenticed to his father and became a ...
; the present prison building was constructed in 1877. The prison took female convicts until 1922.
For 20 years,
Samuel Webster Allen
Samuel Webster Allen (23 March 1844 – 13 May 1908) was an English bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the Bishop of Shrewsbury from 1897 to 1908.
Born at 78 Lord Street, Stockport, Cheshire on 23 March 1844, Allen was educated at St Ma ...
was the
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
chaplain at the prison before being made the
Bishop of Shrewsbury in 1897. Former
Wales Rugby Union
The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU; cy, Undeb Rygbi Cymru) is the governing body of rugby union in the country of Wales, recognised by the sport's international governing body, World Rugby.
The WRU is responsible for the running of rugby in Wales, ove ...
international player
John Strand-Jones
John Strand-Jones (2 December 1877 – 3 April 1958) was a Welsh rugby union player, who represented the Wales national rugby union team on five occasions in 1902 and 1903. His profession was in the clergy of the Anglican Church.
Life
Strand- ...
was the part-time
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
chaplain from 1930 to 1934.
Between 1902 and 1961 the following seven people were executed by hanging within the walls of HMP Shrewsbury for the crime of murder:-
* Richard Wigley, aged 34 years, on Tuesday, 18 March 1902, for the murder of his girlfriend Mary Ellen Bowen.
* William Griffiths, aged 57 years, on Tuesday, 24 July 1923, for the murder of his mother Catherine Hughes.
* Frank Griffin, aged 40 years, on Thursday, 4 January 1951, for the murder of Jane Edge.
* Harry Huxley, aged 43 years, on Tuesday, 8 July 1952, for the murder of his girlfriend Ada Royce.
* Donald Neil Simon, aged 32 years, on Thursday, 23 October 1952, for the murders of his estranged wife Eunice Simon and her lover Victor Brades.
* Desmond Donald Hooper, aged 27 years, on Tuesday, 26 January 1954, for the murder of Betty Smith
* George Riley aged 21 years on Thursday, 9 February 1961, for the murder of his neighbour Adeline Mary Smith.
The names of their victims and their relationships with them appear also. In almost every case the murder victim was female. Executions took place at 8.00 am. All executed prisoners were buried in
unmarked grave
An unmarked grave is one that lacks a marker, headstone, or nameplate indicating that a body is buried there. However, in cultures that mark burial sites, the phrase unmarked grave has taken on a metaphorical meaning.
Metaphorical meaning
As a f ...
s inside the prison, as was customary. The four executions which took place during the 1950s were all conducted by
Albert Pierrepoint
Albert Pierrepoint (; 30 March 1905 – 10 July 1992) was an English hangman who executed between 435 and 600 people in a 25-year career that ended in 1956. His father Henry and uncle Thomas were official hangmen before him.
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, with nine cremated at a local crematorium and the ashes scattered there. The remaining body was handed over to relatives.
In September 2004,
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
George Stevenson, called for an enquiry into the number of suicides which had occurred at Shrewsbury Prison. This came after three inmates had hanged themselves at the jail in two weeks.
A report in 2005 named Shrewsbury prison as the most overcrowded in
England and Wales
England and Wales () is one of the three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. It covers the constituent countries England and Wales and was formed by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. The substantive law of the jurisdiction is Eng ...
. 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
The Prison Reform Trust (PRT) was founded in 1981 in London, England, by a small group of prison reform campaigners who were unhappy with the direction in which the Howard League for Penal Reform was heading, concentrating more on community punish ...
awarded Shrewsbury second place in England and Wales for overcrowding, holding 326 prisoners in space designed for 170 men, a figure exceeded only by
HM Prison Kennet
HM Prison Kennet was a Category C men's prison, located in Parkbourn, Maghull, in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. The prison was operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service. The prison closed on 23 December 2016
Histor ...
in
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
at the time. In 1934, the prison had contained the larger number of 204 cells.
A bust of
prison reform
Prison reform is the attempt to improve conditions inside prisons, improve the effectiveness of a penal system, or implement alternatives to incarceration. It also focuses on ensuring the reinstatement of those whose lives are impacted by crimes. ...
er
John Howard
John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007, holding office as leader of the Liberal Party. His eleven-year tenure as prime minister is the s ...
is above the main entrance to the prison. The street leading up to the prison from the main road is also named after him.
![065-RE1A0115](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/065-RE1A0115.jpg)
Before closure, Shrewsbury was a Category B/C prison accepting adult males from the local courts in its catchment area. Accommodation at the prison consisted of double occupancy cells in mostly
Victorian buildings. The prison offered education and workshops to inmates. A Listener Scheme was also available to prisoners at risk of suicide or self-harm.
In January 2013, it was announced that the prison was scheduled for closure. The last inmates were transferred from Shrewsbury to other prisons on 27 February 2013, ahead of its closure in March.
The
Grade II listed
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
former prison building was sold by the
Ministry of Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry.
Lists of current ministries of justice
Named "Ministry"
* Ministry of Justice (Abkhazia)
* Ministry of Justice (Afghanistan)
* Ministry of Just ...
to developers, the Trevor Osborne Property Group, in 2014, and is expected to be converted into homes and offices. In April 2015, it was revealed proposals included accommodation for around 200 students of the recently created
University Centre Shrewsbury
University Centre Shrewsbury is a Higher Education Institution in Shrewsbury, Shropshire.
Established by Shropshire Council and the University of Chester, University Centre Shrewsbury opened in autumn 2014. Postgraduate students started courses ...
. In January 2016 formal planning proposals to convert the former prison to flats and student accommodation were submitted but in December 2016
Shropshire Council
Shropshire Council is the local authority of Shropshire (district), Shropshire, in England, comprising the ceremonial county of Shropshire except Telford and Wrekin. It is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority, having the powers ...
refused the outline plans, also including restaurants, shops and a gym, on grounds of effects on traffic.
In September 2020 the prison was purchased by The Campbell Group, who have operated the site for the past five years. This purchase will see the prison continue to operate as an interactive tourism destination, with further development and investment planned to create a World renowned attraction.
Cultural impact
Poetry
The prison is mentioned in "On Moonlit Heath and Lonesome Bank" which is part of the poem, "
A Shropshire Lad
''A Shropshire Lad'' is a collection of sixty-three poems by the English poet Alfred Edward Housman, published in 1896. Selling slowly at first, it then rapidly grew in popularity, particularly among young readers. Composers began setting the ...
" by
A.E. Housman
Alfred Edward Housman (; 26 March 1859 – 30 April 1936) was an English classical scholar and poet. After an initially poor performance while at university, he took employment as a clerk in London and established his academic reputation by pub ...
. The proximity of the prison to
Shrewsbury railway station
Shrewsbury railway station is in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. Built in 1848, it was designated a grade II listed building in 1969.
The station is north west of Birmingham New Street. Many services starting at or passing through the stati ...
and junction is highlighted in the verse:
:They hang us now in Shrewsbury jail:
:The whistles blow forlorn,
:And trains all night groan on the rail
:To men that die at morn.
Film location
Since its closure, in September 2015 it was reported the buildings would be used as a setting for the
Sky 1
Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non-terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...
television drama,
''Lucky Man'' (producer,
Carnival Films
Carnival Films is a British production company based in London, UK, founded in 1978. It has produced television series for all the major UK networks including the BBC, ITV (TV network), ITV, Channel 4, and Sky (United Kingdom), Sky, as well as ...
) being cast as the fictional "Whitecross Prison". Filming would take place there for a week.
Shrewsbury Prison was used as the filming location of the prison for series 2 of the ITV drama series
''Prey''.
In 2016, Shrewsbury Prison was featured on a season 2 episode of ''
Paranormal Lockdown
''Paranormal Lockdown'' is a paranormal TV, paranormal reality TV, reality television series that was executively produced by Nick Groff, formerly of ''Ghost Adventures''. The series follows Nick Groff and fellow paranormal researcher Katrina Wei ...
'' as a haunted location. It also appeared in three ''
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 seri ...
'' episodes at the end of August and in early September. This was followed by a two-hour long Halloween special of
''Most Haunted As Live!'' released on 31 October on
UKTV
UKTV Media Limited, simply known as UKTV, is a British multi-channel broadcaster, which, since 2019, has been wholly owned by BBC Studios (formerly BBC Worldwide), a commercial subsidiary of the BBC. It was formed on 1 November 1992 through ...
Play and shown on 3 November on
Really.
In 2018, the prison was used for the location of Prince Charles' prison cell for the Sky One film, ''
The Queen and I''.
In 2019, the prison was used for episodes of ''
Coronation Street
''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford.
Origi ...
'' featuring
Jack P. Shepherd
Jack Peter Shepherd (born 14 January 1988) is a British actor. He is best known for his role as David Platt in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. He won the award for Best Young Actor in 2001 at The ''Inside Soap'' Awards and Best Bad Boy ...
In 2020, the prison features in the final episode of ITV's ''Bancroft'' when DCI Elizabeth Bancroft is sent down at the end of the episode.
In 2020, the prison was used for scenes in the TV drama ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'', starring
Sean Bean
Sean Bean (born Shaun Mark Bean on 17 April 1959) is an English actor. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Bean made his professional debut in a theatre production of ''Romeo and Juliet'' in 1983. Retaining his Yorkshire ac ...
and
Stephen Graham
Stephen Joseph Graham (born 3 August 1973) is a British actor. He is best known for playing Andrew "Combo" Gascoigne in the film ''This Is England'' (2006) and its television sequels ''This Is England '86'' (2010), '' This Is England '88'' ( ...
.
In 2021, the prison was used for scenes in the TV drama ''Without Sin'' starring
Vicky McClure
Victoria Lee McClure (born 8 May 1983) is an English actress, model and presenter. She is known for her roles as Detective Inspector Kate Fleming in the BBC series '' Line of Duty'' (2012–present) and Lol Jenkins in Shane Meadows' film ''This ...
Notable prisoners
Lee Davies was a corrections officer, who worked at HMP Lancaster Farms. He used to smuggle mobile phones and drugs into that prison, and was caught one day as he was at work. He served a few months in jail at HMP Shrewsbury in 2012.
He now works as an electrician.
George Riley. Executed by hanging in Shrewsbury prison February 1961
References
External links
Official website for Shrewsbury PrisonMinistry of Justice pages on Shrewsbury
{{Authority control
1793 establishments in England
2013 disestablishments in England
Government buildings completed in 1877
Buildings and structures in Shrewsbury
Prisons in Shropshire
Grade II listed buildings in Shropshire
Grade II listed prison buildings
Men's prisons
Defunct prisons in England