Lucy & Richard from Cotswolds Guided Tours, just love sharing their local area with visitors. If you want to learn more about the Cotswolds then we hope you find this Cotswolds travel guide useful. Remember you can always join us for a day trip exploring, you have two options our private Cotswold tours or our small, mixed group sightseeing Cotswolds tours. We are open all year round, so book & be our special guests for a wonderful day trip.

 

Located on the outskirts of the Cotswolds market town of Northleach. This is a rare & unusual place to visit, however well worth the trip. The Old Prison itself is home to the offices of the Cotswolds conservation board. Located adjacent to the busy A429, Fosseway Road it makes the perfect stop for those travelling through the Cotswolds. Equally the Old Prison is within easy walking distance for those staying in the town of Northleach.

As you can imagine the Old Prison has a rather macabre history, built in 1792 as a House of Correction for minor convicts in the local vicinity. The core reason for these small prisons popping up throughout the 18th century, was to reduce overcrowding in prisons in the main cities. Despite being built by a philanthropist the original building was equipped with a 'treadmill' where convicts would spend their days pounding the boards. Death within the prison was rife, leading to recent claims that the building is haunted. Paranormal teams have conducted overnight investigations & reported unusual sounds & orbs. During the day however the Old Prison is a hive of positive energy, thanks to the wonderful cafe located within its walls. During your visit you can wander through prison cells & explore the open air 'countryside' museum. This is the perfect location to loose yourself for an hour or so, however just make sure you don't get locked in overnight!