Shropshire Star

Let me in! Shrewsbury Prison reopens for ghost hunts and tours

Delighted operators of Shrewsbury Prison are over the moon at being finally been able to reopen the cells at the visitor attraction.

Published
Site manager Lauren Watkins

Ghost hunts and self-guided tours have resumed after owner Jailhouse Tours was told it would face council enforcement action if it had opened on their preferred date last month.

Following a delay and updated Government guidance the site which reopened for the first time since lockdown on Saturday, is seeing a steady stream of visitors calling in.

Joel Campbell, of the Dana attraction, says: "We are certainly happy that we've able to open. We are very pleased to see people coming in.

"The people who come in are quite happy and things are going well. The most we've seen so far is 50 to 60 visitors per day.

"Normally we'd get 300 per day prior to Covid-19 when we would have been getting school groups and private tours booked in.

"We're also one of the first tourism locations to receive a Visit England kite mark which we're very pleased about.

"We're also very pleased that we have not had to make any staff reductions. Actually in the near future we're going to be recruiting."

From July 18 visitors can book prison breaks and heritage tours and a full programme of activities will be available from August 1.

Mr Campbell said the tour site was concentrating on marketing in the Shrewsbury and Telford areas instead of further afield as the lockdown starts to ease.

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.