Shepton Mallet Prison - Entry Ticket

Recommended by 96% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

South West England, England

Great choice

10+ bookings last month.

1 to 5 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Discover the history, stories, and architecture of the country’s oldest prison—and explore at your own pace—when you pre-book tickets to Shepton Mallet Prison. Constructed in 1625, the landmark has witnessed many centuries of British history. Choose a start time that works best for you, make your own way to the landmark, and step back in time when you visit its cells, gruesome execution areas, and more.

Secure your tickets in advance to make your visit seamless
Discover the highlights and history of England’s oldest prison
A range of start times are available to suit your sightseeing schedule
Delve into a lesser-known chapter of British history

What's Included

All Fees and Taxes

Meeting and Pickup

Departure Point

Shepton Mallet Prison, Frithfield Lane, Shepton Mallet BA4 5FQ England

What To Expect

Shepton Mallet Prison

Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed

Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
We are dog friendly

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.8

based on 501 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Prison experience

Giles_C, Nov 2025

A big, brooding prison experience giving insight into what it was like for inmates through the ages. For the more ghoulish minded you can see where executions took place, by firing squad and by hanging.

Outstanding!

Kaye_M, Aug 2025

Lovely welcome on arrival. Staff very helpful and friendly. The prison is steeped in history, and you feel it. Overall, informative and interesting visit

Excellent

Jo_W, Feb 2025

I would definitely recommend the guided tour, although I found it very informative I felt it was a little rushed and overpriced, (personal opinion is all) there were 13 of us in our tour. The staff are very friendly and all have wonderful knowledge of the prisons history. I enjoyed that you can walk around by yourselves after the tour had finished, as your tickets are for the whole day. They have a small souvenir area, although mostly related to the Hauntings. There is a small area where you can have lunch and a little kiosk where you can purchase drinks. Overall I would rate this as an excellent venue to visit and would absolutely go back - although not on the guided tour!

A great afternoon out

Chris_I, Aug 2024

We really enjoyed this experience, we did the ‘self’ guided tour - there was plenty of information to do this and we only got lost once! Very interesting and informative some of it quite tragic to read, it makes you think how lucky we are to live in these times and not then.

Eye opener

Fiona_A, Jun 2024

Very interesting to learn the history of the prison and to read about all the notorious prisoners as well as the others. It was a real eye opener learning about prison life over the years and even centuries. We found that even though we went on a self guided tour, there was still enough information to read enroute.

Fascinating

Gary_R, Jun 2024

We spent two hours here & found it fascinating, we did a self guided tour rather than a guided one, but there is enough signage to tell you what's what.

Amazing place

Geraldine_S, Jan 2024

Just loved everything and kids had so much fun and enjoyed the history behind it all. Recommend anyone to go and see for themselves what a great visit it is

Christmas gift

Laurie_H, Jan 2024

Had this from our daughters for a Christmas present after wanting to visit for a while! Brilliant self guided tour and so interesting

A very worthwhile experience and worth preserving

Graham_B, Dec 2023

It is a sobering and thoughtful insight into historical prison life and atmosphere which still pervades the whole building

Summer trip.

caitlin_s, Aug 2023

The whole trip was amazing from start to finish. But the best the best bit was the guided tour. A definite must if your going to visit, the kid's loved it.