Shepton Mallet Prison: Historic Jail Experience

Discover the captivating history of Shepton Mallet Prison on a self-guided tour. Immerse yourself in over 400 years of prison life and experience a world-class tourism adventure.

Duration: 5 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Shepton Mallet Prison - If you’re looking for a day out with a difference, you’re in the right place. Explore the whole prison at your leisure, take photos and CELLfies as you soak up the atmosphere of this amazing 400-year-old prison. An ideal day out for families with young children who would like to investigate at their own pace.
    You will be…
What's Included
  • All Fees and Taxes
Additional Information

Shepton Mallet Prison offers a world-class tourism experience that captivates and educates visitors by taking them on a journey behind bars. The mission is to preserve, protect, and promote the rich history and heritage of Shepton Mallet Prison, highlighting prison life from the Jacobean era to the present day. Visitors enjoy a unique and immersive…

Location
Shepton Mallet Prison
Frithfield Lane
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(509 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
S1639nbpaulah
Jun 7, 2026
Great 3 th anniversary celebration - Was a great visit was really fun and raining , but we loved that. We had a good look round everything! We been before but loved it !! It’s lovely how it’s authentic
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Julialc5926sm
May 26, 2026
Prison Tour - Very interesting and genuine experience, albeit dark in nature. Many interesting stories and exhibits. The guide was very good, keeping it as light as possible and he clearly had more knowledge to share that could be in the duration of the tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Maps45407579329
May 26, 2026
We did the self guide tour which suited us,but over heard a lot of the guided tour, which was very interesting. - We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Prison. The staff were amazing, very knowledgeable and helpful and could not do enough to help in anyway possible. Would recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jonba4121gl
May 22, 2026
Great day out! - What an amazing day we had! On entry to the prison we were greeted by such a lovely lady called Lizzy! She was so welcoming and kind and her knowledge about the prison and its history was second to none! We spent around 2hrs exploring the prison and I was actually surprised on how much of the prison was available to explore! We seen so much! An even nicer touch is that they are dog friendly so our little yorkie also had the best time exploring the prison with us. £13 per person is too cheap in my opinion and I would have happily paid £20 each! Great day out 🙂
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Viviennesmith67
May 20, 2026
Glad not to be an inmate - We enjoyed it so much,We didn't have a guided tour, just walked around with the map that took us over 2 hours. Very educational.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
V3227gjlindaj
May 7, 2026
Great Day Out - Fantastic, completely undersold. Lots of information and can walk around at your leisure. Have visited Freemantle prison in Perth Australia and this was much better. Well worth a visit. Could be better signposted from the road, there is a small car park maybe 300 yes from the prison.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Trip39700006942
May 5, 2026
Family fun - We had a great time yesterday and my little boy (6) absolutely loved it. All of the staff were so friendly and informative and took the time to tell us interesting facts and stories. A little spooky at times (and this was during the day!)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
691vivieng
Apr 26, 2026
superb - Superb visit, the guide was beyond excellent, she had a humorous take on the lives and times of former inmates. Her knowledge was very good and she obviously enjoyed her role.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kim_pete7049
Apr 21, 2026
Enjoyable Visit - We had a really enjoyable visit to the Prison, lots to see plenty of information about the life of the prison and life in the prison. It was a lot bigger than we were expecting. The staff were really friendly and helpful.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Andyuk1234
May 21, 2026
Tatty but an interesting time - The site can be quite disorienting without a guided tour, and we had some difficulty locating the exit, which I understand is somewhat ironic. Despite the numerous informational displays, I believe we may not have fully grasped the historical significance. The site appears to be somewhat neglected, seemingly lacking maintenance since its closure as a prison. While we did enjoy our visit, a significant portion of our time was spent navigating with an unhelpful map and nearly imperceptible floor arrows. It offers reasonable value for the cost, but I wouldn't consider it worth any additional expense.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $20
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).