Bodmin Jail

Bodmin Gaol is a former prison-turned tourist attraction in England.

The prison was designed by Sir John Call in 1779. It was built using the labor of French prisoners of war, and was used for 150 years. Despite its inglorious origins, the building was actually quite innovative. It was the first British prison to hold the people incarcerated within in individual cells.

The prison’s population shifted over the years, often reflecting changes in larger English society. It was used as a debtor’s prison for many years, but imprisonment for debt was abolished in 1869. The reason behind this was less noble than it may appear, however, as it was mostly banned to free up space for naval prisoners.

Ultimately, a Naval prison occupied an entire wing of the Bodmin Gaol, and it stayed that way until the naval wing was closed in 1922. The entire prison itself closed just a few years later in 1927. 

Once a dark and grim place, the prison has long since fallen into disrepair, and now sits with several sections in ruin. But in its decaying state it has also become a tourist attraction, with visitors touring the ruins and throwing back beers in the once-rowdy prison yard.

In May 2021 the gaol was reopened as a luxurious hotel with 70 guest rooms where each room utilizes the cells of the prisoners to mesh together with the original features with contemporary design.