History & Ghost Hunting Information

HM Prison Shrewsbury, widely known as "The Dana," was a Category B/C Men's Prison in Shrewsbury.

The prison closed its gates for good in March 2013, ending a history spanning over 220 years on a site that once held a medieval gaol.

The name The Dana comes from Rev Edmund Dana, a benefactor after whom the original prison was named.

The Age of Reform and Iron 📜 (1793)

The prison's origins lie in the late 18th-century calls for prison reform, although the final structure was a product of many hands:

• Design and Influence: Built in 1793, the jail's original plans were drawn up by John Hiram Haycock and William Blackburn but were significantly redesigned by Thomas Telford following critical input from reformer John Howard.

• Early Brutality: Despite the reformist intentions, early justice was swift. The first man hanged at the new gaol was John Smith in 1795, convicted for stealing ten cotton handkerchiefs.

Public Spectacles and The Gallows 🩸 (1795 – 1961)

The Dana served as the site of countless executions, transitioning from a gruesome public show to a secluded, clinical act.

• The Last Public Act: The prison's last public hanging was on April 9, 1868. John Mapp, a 35-year-old man convicted of murder, was executed above the main gate before public executions were abolished.

• The Private Gallows: Following the prison's reconstruction in 1877, all subsequent executions took place behind closed doors within a dedicated execution suite (the Hanging Shed). Between 1902 and 1961, seven men were hanged here for murder.

Executions at HMP Shrewsbury (1902–1961)

Richard Wigley (34) 18 March 1902 First private execution.

William Griffiths (57) 24 July 1923

Frank Griffin (40) 4 January 1951

Executed by the UK's most famous hangman.

Harry Huxley (43) 8 July 1952

Donald Neil Simon (32) 23 October 1952

Desmond Donald Hooper (27) 26 January 1954

George Riley (21) 9 February 1961

The last man executed at Shrewsbury.

• Final Resting Place: All executed prisoners were buried in unmarked graves within the walls. During redevelopment in 1972, the remains of ten executed prisoners were exhumed.

  The remains of George Riley were identified and handed over to his relatives, but the others were cremated.

Overcrowding and Closure ➡️ (2004 – 2013)

By the 21st century, the prison suffered from severe operational issues.

• Tragedy and Overcrowding: A suicide crisis in 2004 led to a public enquiry. The prison was severely overcrowded, holding 326 prisoners in space designed for only 170 men by 2012, making it one of the most overcrowded jails in England and Wales.

• Closure: HMP Shrewsbury closed its gates in March 2013 and is now preserved as a heritage site, the memory of its condemned residents remaining a key focus for its dark history.

HMP Shrewsbury is not just haunted; it is a dense portal of despair, where centuries of suffering have permeated the very stone and iron. The energy here is aggressive, interactive, and overwhelmingly negative.

The Resident Apparitions and Physical Intimidation

The prison's main entities are known not just for being seen, but for actively terrifying visitors:

• The Shadow Man: This is not a fleeting glimpse but a terrifying, full-bodied shadow mass frequently reported in A-Wing.

  Visitors describe an overwhelming, oppressive feeling of being intensely studied.

  The Shadow Man is often associated with physical intimidation: feeling their personal space invaded, hearing aggressive growls, or seeing the dark shape quickly dart into the corners of the cells.

• The Grey Lady: While less overtly hostile, this apparition, seen drifting across the galleried landings, induces a profound sense of suffocating sadness. People near her reported feeling instantly drained of energy or hearing faint, disembodied sobbing and lamentation that seems to come from all directions at once.

The Executioner’s Mark and Sensory Distortion

The Execution Room (The Hanging Shed) is charged with residual and intelligent haunting tied to the final moments of life.

• George Riley's Despair: The last man executed, George Riley, is more than just a visible ghost.

  In the Execution Room, witnesses describe an overpowering, phantom smell of stagnant sweat and fear.

  Investigators have heard the distinct sound of shuffling or dragging feet on the floorboards, followed by an immediate, terrifying snap sound echoing from the empty rope hook.

• The Sound of Silence: In the walkway leading to the shed, the boundaries of sound often distort. Sudden, inexplicable pockets of absolute silence—where all background noise vanishes—have been reported, making the subsequent return of sound feel jarring and unnatural.

Phenomena and Hotspots

The phenomena here are often tactile and environmental, preying on the visitor's sense of solitude and safety.

• A-Wing and C-Wing Cells: Solitude in the cells is rarely assured. Visitors who sit alone report the unsettling sound of cell locks mysteriously rattling when no one is near them. The most disturbing reports involve the feeling of a heavy, unseen weight depressing the mattress next to them, suggesting a presence has actively chosen to sit in their confinement.

• Poltergeist Activity: The prison is noted for the movement of small objects, which investigators have documented being flicked or thrown with palpable force, often accompanied by a low, guttural growl emanating from the cell corridors.