Shepton Mallet Prison, formally known as HMP Shepton Mallet, occupies a distinctive place in British military history, not only because of its well-known use by the United States Army during the Second World War, but also due to its earlier and later roles as a British military prison (a 'Glasshouse'). Constructed in 1625 as a house of correction, it became England’s oldest continuously operating prison until its closure in 2013, at which point it carried a Category C designation. The prison is now open to the public and my wife and I recently spent a fascinating afternoon there, exploring the cavernous buildings with the help of a truly excellent guide.
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| The Exercise Yard at HMP Shepton Mallet |
Before American involvement, Shepton Mallet was already being used by the British military authorities. During the First World War, the prison was taken over by the War Office and used as a military detention facility for British servicemen. It held soldiers convicted by court martial, including deserters, those guilty of insubordination, and men who had committed criminal offences while in uniform. As with many wartime military prisons, its purpose was both punitive and corrective, reinforcing discipline within a mass citizen army under unprecedented strain. The prison’s isolation and severe conditions made it well suited to this role.
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| C Wing with escape room 'guard' |
Shepton Mallet’s most famous military phase came during the Second World War. In 1942 the facility, having operated as a British military prison since 1939 (for the second time), was transferred to the control of the United States Army, becoming the only US-run military prison on British soil. Officially designated the 2903rd United States Army Disciplinary Training Center, it housed American servicemen convicted of serious crimes under US military law. Between 1942 and 1945, the prison held over 700 US soldiers and was the site of eighteen wartime executions, including sixteen hangings undertaken carried out by the renowned executioner Thomas Pierrepoint under American authority. The remaining executions were carried out by firing squad as the prisoners involved had committed crimes against service personnel rather than civilians.
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| The execution wall at Shepton Mallet |
The execution wall is a sombre place, made more so when one realises that on the right hand side there are seven unmarked civilian graves. Apparently in some instances a sentence would apply after death insofar as a burial place had to remain unmarked for one hundred years. The last civilian burial of this type (one of the seven) was in 1926 so at the end of this year the seven graves can be named or the bodies reinterred (the seven names are known, but not the order in which they were buried - they are in date sequence but it is not known whether the sequence runs left to right or visa versa). The two servicemen shot at the wall were Private Alex Miranda (30 May 1944) and Benjamin Pygate (18 November 1944). The presence of the graves and the fact that they could not be moved, almost certainly saved the site from redvelopment.
Previously, on Saturday, 14th December 1940, three British servicemen were killed at the prison in a tragic accident. The three - Frank Girvan, Glen Williams and Harold Smith were paying cards with one other having been put in 'Room 142' for what our guide said was for a relatively trivial disciplinary offence. It was a cold night and the men were playing cards around a gas lamp. To stop a draught a towel was placed under the door and sadly the four were found asphyxiated - one survived. The location of Room 142 is unknown but a plaque in the Second World War era gatehouse records the incident.
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| Plaque to three British Army prisoners |
The American period did not mark a complete break from British military use. After the end of the war in Europe, Shepton Mallet was returned to British control and once again used, briefly, to hold British military prisoners. In the immediate post-war years, it housed members of the British armed forces convicted of offences under military law, including desertion and violent crime, reflecting the ongoing need for military detention facilities even after active hostilities had ended. Post war the Kray Twins and Charlie Richardson spent time in the Shepton Mallet Glasshouse - the former for refusing National Service.
Today, Shepton Mallet Prison stands as a rare physical reminder of military incarceration on British soil. Its history as both a British and American military prison illustrates the often-overlooked role of military justice in wartime and underscores how global conflict reshaped even long-established local institutions.
Link corridor between the wings C Wing - home of the National Archive during WW2
During the Second World War one part of the prison sat outside US Army jurisdiction. This was C Wing which is used as safe, bomb proof storage for government and national archive material. Public Record Office (PRO) documents, legal and administrative records considered essential for the post war state and some historically important papers were stored in the cells which extended over three floors. A custodian and his family lived on the first floor and the wall of the block was breeched to allow quick access to the exterior. Our guide told us that one of the children had returned recently, and told how he used to run a toy train along the walkways on the second level.
Should you visit?
Well, this what I said in my five star Trip Advisor Review: We were absolutely blown away by our experience. The guided tour provided fascinating insights into the prison over the years. Our guide was exceptional - knowledgeable, passionate and with an obvious pride in making the visitor experience as good as it could possibly be. She succeeded. In the afternoon we had a similarly brilliant experience in one of the escape rooms. Every member of staff was totally attuned to excellent service. As for the prison itself - authentic and awesome!
