Originally built in 1779 for King George III, Bodmin Jail remains one of Cornwall’s most popular visitor attractions throughout the year.
Split over six levels and featuring a licensed bar and restaurant on site, this fascinating building is packed full of architectural and social history. Visitors can walk through the atmospheric and haunting old, dank cells and get under the skin of how prisoners lived in isolation, often for long periods of time.
Bodmin Jail is also home to the only working execution pit in the UK, having been rediscovered during renovation works in 2005. With its last execution said to have taken place on 20th July 1909, a visit to the execution pit (or the ‘Long Drop’ as it’s known) promises to be a moving experience.
Visitors can also discover more about the jail and the story of its prisoners by taking a stroll through the Jail Exhibition to get a feel for what prison life was like for those unlucky enough to live, and very often, die there.
The on-site gift shop also offers plenty of goodies for you to take away with you, such as the much-loved book ‘The History of Bodmin Jail’, as well as clothing, mugs, Cornish fudge, shortbread and cookies, and much more.
Take a walk through one of the darker sides of Cornwall’s history for an experience you’ll never forget. More information on Bodmin Jail including opening times and current admission charges can be found at http://www.bodminjail.org/.
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