If you have steady nerves and want an experience with a difference, you can opt to spend a night locked up in the English prison reported to be the most haunted in the United Kingdom.
The historic HM Shepton Mallet prison in Somerset was built in 1610, and famous former inmates include the notorious Kray twins, Reggie and Ronnie. Many death sentences were conveyed on the site, and the last hanging took place in the prison in 1945. It closed as a working prison in 2013, and it now offers guided and self-guided tours. Visitors can explore the Victorian prison wings, descend into the hidden 1610 cell, and listen to the stories told by ex-prison officers.
There is also an experience where guests can stay in the prison overnight and sleep in a cell. "A Night Behind Bars" is a 12-hour stay, in which guests get to pick a cell in B Wing to experience what it would have been like to sleep in a real prison cell. They have to bring their own torches, bedding and a roll mat as mattresses are not provided, and if they're sharing, they'll need to being a camp bed.
The Jailhouse Tours team will be on site through the night telling guests stories of the prison's past. Visitors will be given a guided tour around the jail after dark, and as it is said to be haunted, guests will have free roaming time to head off in search of spirits. The bar will be open for purchasing drinks, and the temporary inmates can have porridge for breakfast.
Read more: These 10 hotels and hostels were prisons in a former life
To book tickets to spend the night in the prison on 13 October, head to the Jailhouse Tours website here.
