Bodmin Jail in Cornwall is recognised as one of the UK's most chilling paranormal hotspots. Built in 1779 by prisoners of war and designed by Sir John Call, it was operational for 150 years, during which it saw over 50 public hangings. The jail closed in 1927, and in 2021, after a £65 million investment, it reopened as a 4-star luxury boutique hotel and tourist attraction.
Historical Background
Bodmin Gaol was the first British prison to hold prisoners in individual cells. The prison started to become overcrowded by 1820. New buildings were added up to the 1850s due to several Acts of Parliament. By 1850, 20 different classes of prisoners were defined, each class needed to be housed in separate sleeping areas and workshops. There were 80 recorded executions in Cornwall from 1735 to 1909, 60 of which were facilitated by Bodmin Jail. During the latter part of World War I, the prison was used for holding some of Britain's "State Papers and Records" including the Domesday Book. The material was in the jail in 1918-1919. Today the gaol has been renovated to encompass a 4-star boutique hotel (opened in February 2021), which includes 70 rooms, a bar, and a restaurant.
Matthew Weeks - The Innocent Lover
The spirit of Matthew Weeks (executed in 1844 for murdering his lover Charlotte Dymond) is said to have been seen on several occasions, as he wanders around the jail pleading his innocence. Matthew was a crippled farmhand who was accused of murdering the pretty 18-year-old Charlotte Dymond. Matthew Weeks was one of the unlucky prisoners executed in jail in 1844. They hanged Matthew for the terrible crime of murdering his lover, Charlotte. And although his body may be dead and buried, his spirit is said to live on and he roams the halls of the Bodmin Jail Hotel. Whether Matthew is looking for vengeance or redemption remains a mystery.
Selina Wadge - The Most Active Spirit
Selina Wadge is another famous ghost of Bodmin Gaol. She was hanged for the murder of her younger disabled son in 1887. It has been said that she tries to grab any young children visiting the jail and also suppresses her feeling upon pregnant women. It was the Victorian era, and societal pressures meant Selina's situation as an unwed single mother of two made her an outcast. A soldier promised to marry her if she disposed of her young disabled child. Selina, with neither money nor support, dropped her child down the well. This murder resulted in her execution in 1878. She is said to still haunt the halls of Bodmin Jail. Selina Wadge may be the most active spectre of all! They hanged her in 1878 after murdering her illegitimate child. Several guests have noted seeing her ghost hanging around the old jail. Young visitors have even reported being grabbed by the horrifying apparition, and pregnant guests have felt odd sensations of being watched.
The Lightfoot Brothers
One of either William or James Lightfoot has been seen down in the ground-floor cells. These two brothers haunt the ground-floor cells. They were both hanged in 1840 for killing a man called Nevell Norway, a local merchant. Their public hanging on 13 April was witnessed by at least 25,000 people. This number included 1,100 people who saw it happen from train carriages. The tracks were next to the gallows, and the train stopped to watch the event.
Other Paranormal Activity
Ghostly apparitions have been witnessed in the bar/restaurant area and mediums have come into contact with several spirits including one of a prostitute who was wrongfully executed. In the area where they housed naval prisoners, a thin, gaunt-looking man has been seen in one of the cells. Around the jail many visitors and staff often report the feeling of being watched, orbs have been seen down the corridors, footsteps have been heard, voices, rattling keys, and people feeling as though they're being touched. Many people have reported feeling tugging at their clothes and a popular experience is that of children screaming in the lower ground floor cells. In the naval area, stones have been thrown at the current owners, and loud bangs have been heard inside the empty jail from the people outside. A ghostly priest has been seen in the chapel. Several ghosts have been seen in the bar/restaurant area.
The Basement
The basement beneath the hotel is out of bounds to the public and feared by the staff that work here. Entering the jail alone after dark is not for the faint-hearted, with certain areas being colder than others. The basement tunnels are definitely an experience visitors won't forget.
The Most Haunted Ward
Rooms 304-309 are along the most haunted ward. On the wall of each hotel room, there's a plaque which shares the story of the prisoner who lived in the cell.
Paranormal Tours and Experiences
Genuine paranormal activity happens on a regular basis – nothing is made up for entertainment. The whole jail is paranormally active. It is unpredictable and all areas of the jail are subject to activity. As the lights fade and the doors lock behind you, Bodmin Jail transforms into one of the UK's most chilling paranormal hotspots where prisoners, executioners, and lost souls still linger. The Bodmin Jail Hotel offers visitors a unique opportunity to sleep in the very cells that once housed condemned prisoners, in a location where over 150 years of suffering, death, and despair have left an indelible supernatural imprint on every corridor, cell, and execution site of this historic prison.