Posted 19 Sept 2019

Shrewsbury Prison named in top nine Dark Tourism destinations

Have you heard of Dark Tourism? Whether it's the site of a natural disaster, genocide or incarceration, places of pain, shame and "heritage that hurts" are growing in popularity for visitors and holidaymakers.
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BBC Radio 4 has named Shrewsbury's Dana Prison one of the top nine global destinations, alongside others including Chernobyl, Pompeii, and Auschwitz.

The Dana Prison was built in 1868, but there has been a prison on the site since the 1790s. In total, 73 executions occurred at the prison with the last in February 1961; 21-year-old George Riley who was hung for the robbery and murder of Shrewsbury resident Adeline Mary Smith.

The prison is now run as an attraction, with frequent educational and ghost tours, escape rooms and 'behind bars' experiences.

You can read BBC Radio 4's piece here.

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