Shepton Mallet Prison Guided Tour: Explore Historic Buildings and Infamous Residents

Embark on a guided tour of Shepton Mallet Prison, delving into its historic buildings and infamous residents. Experience the hidden world of capital punishment and the secrets behind locked doors.

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Shepton Mallet Prison - Explore the paths once tread by inmates over the past four centuries. Uncover the secrets behind the towering walls and secured gates. Delve into the concealed realm of capital punishment and witness the very sites where executions were carried out.
    Shepton Mallet Prison offers guided tours led by former prison officers who…
What's Included
  • Admission to Shepton Mallet Prison
Additional Information

Experience the history of the last 400 years by tracing the path of past inmates. Uncover the mysteries that lie behind the towering walls and sealed entrances. Delve into the concealed universe of death sentence and witness the exact spot where lives were ended.
Shepton Mallet Prison offers informative tours led by former correctional officers who were…

Location
Shepton Mallet Prison
Frithfield Lane
To meet for this tour, please enter the visitor centre 15 minutes before your tour time
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(1512 Ratings)
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Gasman0675
Jun 1, 2025
Highly recommend - Really great experience. The guide was really friendly and knowledgable, made sure everyone including the children were involved and made it a wonderful tour. Lots to see afterwards when you self tour so great to make a day of it.
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1963dsc
Jun 1, 2025
Great experience - Our guide was Jason, very helpful full of information. The visit was amazing. Was my birthday treat and really enjoyed.
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Valf620
May 31, 2025
Amazing experience - We went on the 10.30 prison tour with Cameron. He was amazing , very knowledgeable and entertaining. Would recommend this tour much better than self guided. Good value for money. When we come back we would book this tour again .
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Onair27327149245
May 30, 2025
Excellent value - Esther was an excellent guide, very knowledgeable & was narrating virtually the whole way round which was great. Those on a self tour would loose so much information & knowledge, definitely get the guided tour. A few stairs to navigate up & down so probably not for the less mobile. Well received at check in where coffees & cakes are available as was toilet facilities. Lasting about 1.5hrs it is excellent value for money. Vouchers can be purchased on line for gifts.
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Darrall
May 29, 2025
A prison full of history - Highly recommended, our tour guide Esther is very knowledgeable and engaging. The site itself should remain as is, changing / redecorating it is going to lose its character. 10/10 a must see.
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Venture43645061179
May 29, 2025
Great few hours exploring - Great tour, really glad we had the guided tour so much we would have missed. All the knowledge Ester our tour guide had nade the visit so much more. our guide ester was great and very knowledgeable. I really hope they keep the site original it really added to the experience.
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Cheriaw2015
May 29, 2025
Fantastic, I recommend it to everyone especially having the guide take you round. - This is our first time vising Shepton Mallett Prison. I highly recommend the tour guide visit as we had Ester take us round and the knowledge she had made our experience so much more than us going round on our own. She was fab. We had a small group and the whole experience of the background and stories if the orion were fascinating. I highly recommend this place to visit. It is in its original state which makes it so more interesting. Loved it. Hope they keep it that way.
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F2977ocdong
May 29, 2025
Day out with family - From start to finish, the tour was excellent. Went with 3 kids who were dubious about it to start but ended up all having a really good day out. Our tour was with Cameron, very knowledgeable and engaging with the people on the tour. All staff members were helpful and friendly. Couldn't fault the experience, so thanks for a great visit 😊
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Leannf10093
May 29, 2025
Highly recommend the guided tour. - Highly highly recommend the guided tour, we were shown around by Esther who obviously loves her job. Her passion and enthusiasm throughout really made the prison come to life. I visited with my mum and we both agreed that we wouldn’t have been as interested if we’d walked around by ourselves. The prison itself is well maintained while also keeping the ‘charm’ of a prison ie; somewhere you wouldn’t want to have an extended stay in!! All in all, a fantastic day out!
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Ckpleiser83
May 28, 2025
Incredible Guided Tour at Shepton Mallet Prison with Cameron - After a couple of days adventuring through Longleat with my wife and our 7-year-old son, we decided to cap it off with something a bit different — a guided tour of Shepton Mallet Prison. And honestly, it was a brilliant choice. Our guide, Cameron, was fantastic — incredibly knowledgeable, engaging, and clearly passionate about the prison’s long and gritty history. He shared fascinating stories, lesser-known facts, and didn’t shy away from the darker, more sobering parts of the site’s past. His delivery kept both adults and our curious little one interested throughout the whole tour — no small feat. The guided part of the experience takes around 1.5 to 2 hours and is packed with insight. That said, there are sections not covered in the tour, like the healthcare wing/infirmary and a few corners that are worth exploring on your own either before or after. Don’t miss those — they add an extra layer of eerie atmosphere and history. Overall, this was time very well spent. A great contrast to the safari fun of Longleat and a memorable learning experience for all three of us. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $30
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).