Shrewsbury Prison (The Dana): The Condemned

Shrewsbury Prison, known locally as “The Dana,” operated for 220 years before closing in 2013. It is one of only a few prisons in Britain to open its doors to paranormal investigators, and the results have been extraordinary. The original Georgian building, with its hangman’s drop, execution shed, and isolation cells, produces some of the most intense supernatural activity ever documented.

The History

Georgian Foundation

The prison was built in 1793 on the site of a medieval castle. Its circular design was considered modern and humane for the time.

Executions

Shrewsbury was an execution site:

• A hangman’s drop visible in A-wing
• An execution shed in the yard
• The last execution was 1961
• Approximately 50 people hanged

Notable Inmates

The prison held many infamous figures over its history, from highway robbers to modern criminals.

Closure and Opening

When the prison closed in 2013, it became a tourist and paranormal attraction. Few prisons have been so thoroughly investigated.

The Hauntings

The Hangman’s Drop

The execution point in A-wing:

• The trapdoor mechanism survives
• Intense activity surrounds it
• The sound of the drop
• Choking and struggling
• Those executed return to their death point

A-Wing

The oldest wing:

• Victorian and Georgian atmosphere
• Cell doors slam
• Footsteps in locked cells
• Figures on the landings
• Warder’s ghost still patrolling

The Execution Shed

Where outdoor hangings occurred:

• One of the most active areas
• Visitors feel noose sensations
• Overwhelming dread
• Shadow figures
• EVP captures final prayers

The Isolation Cells

Solitary confinement:

• Intense emotional responses
• The madness induced by isolation
• Scratching on walls
• Voices from empty cells
• Visitors have fled in terror

The Infirmary

Where prisoners died of disease:

• Medical ghosts
• Patients in beds
• The smell of illness
• Those who never recovered

Documented Evidence

The Dana has yielded extensive evidence:

• Hundreds of EVP recordings
• Photographs of full-body apparitions
• Unexplained sounds on video
• Temperature anomalies
• Physical phenomena witnessed by groups

Public Access

Shrewsbury Prison offers:

• Ghost hunts and overnight stays
• Historical tours
• The chance to experience documented phenomena
• One of the most accessible haunted prisons

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Shrewsbury Prison held criminals for 220 years. Now it holds their ghosts. The Dana has opened its cells to investigators, and the evidence they’ve gathered confirms what visitors feel: the condemned never left, and they welcome the living to share their eternal punishment.