Bodmin Jail

From punishment to paranormal, Kirstie Newton explores the unlikely history of one of Cornwall’s most luxurious hotels

Who would have thought one of the country’s most notorious jails would wind up as a high-faluting hotel?

Once the epitome of Victorian punishment, today Bodmin Jail is an £8.5m immersive visitor experience, and one of Cornwall’s most comfortable – if grimly fascinating – accommodation providers.

It’s not the clink’s first brush with tourism. Believe it or not, back in the Victorian era, visitors would come down on special trips to witness hangings here – a macabre spectator sport.

There’s nothing quite so gruesome here today, but the jail still has the capacity to attract those with darker tastes: a predilection for jump-scares, say, or a curiosity for the paranormal.

The attraction doesn’t shy away from its origins, and has made a name for itself on the alternative circuit. The Dark Walk (as its main tour is known) is an eye-opening window into how 19th-century prisoners were treated. Crimes and their punishments are examined, inmates profiled – some evoking compassion as much as anger.

School parties are welcome to follow the journey of justice reform throughout the ages, but families should be prepared to soothe small children (the physical shudder of the gallery when the noose dropped certainly spooked my young daughter).

Unsurprisingly, some events are not for the faint-hearted, and come with an age limit and “at your own risk” warnings.  Top of the list are the activities that indulge the appetite for supernatural experiences.

Regular ghost walks throughout the week emphasise story-telling and entertainment as you discover what goes bump in the night, and naturally, Halloween comes into its own with the Go Darker tour, taking brave souls from the gallows to the grave via the gibbet cage.

Serious ghost hunters are in the right place here. Bodmin Jail has its own official Paranormal Research Department, headed up by Joseph S Carter MA (Hauntology).

On Friday and Saturday, you can stay until the wee small hours and experiment with investigative equipment to detect ghosts and ghouls, all in the name of research (strictly 18+).

You’ll need to recharge your own personal energies after such eerie escapades. Moor Café is a historic yet laid-back restaurant dedicated to showcasing the best of Cornish food and drink; alternatively, step things up a notch at the jail’s former chapel, now home to a memorable high-end dining experience within stunning architecture.

The Bodmin Jail Hotel – Prisoner Experience

Fancy surrendering a little longer and becoming part of over two hundred years of history? For the full experience, you can check into the five-star boutique hotel and immerse yourself in the Prisoner Experience. Fear not, you’ll sleep better here than the thieves, murderers and pitiful poor ever did, as home for the night is one of the hotel’s “luxury cells”, a beautifully restored triple cell. Unlike previous inhabitants, you’ll find plush bedding, luxurious baths, and lavish touches such as fluffy robes and slippers.

Guests will enjoy a welcome drink before embarking on an expert-led tour, where the grim tales of crime and punishment will come to life. There’ll be no rumbling stomachs with the elevated wholesome three-course “Prisoner’s Meal”, which will set you for an introduction to the paranormal in the darkness. Wake to a decadent breakfast and complete your stay with a visit to the immersive Bodmin Jail Museum.