Photography at Shrewsbury Prison: History, Hangmen, and TV Sets

We’ve found ourselves in prison again—this time at the historic HMP Shrewsbury in Shropshire. It’s about half the size of the Crumlin Road Gaol in Belfast we visited previously, but the Victorian "Panopticon" style is strikingly similar. Both are now fascinating tourist attractions for anyone interested in dark tourism or Victorian architecture.

The history here is heavy. Ricky Tomlinson spent two years here in the 70s, and it’s housed Great Train Robbers and even George Riley—the last man to be executed in this prison. Visiting the execution chamber is a sobering experience, as is seeing the "Condemned Cell."

It’s a room two or three times the size of a standard cell, designed so the prisoner wouldn't suspect their time was up. I have to disagree; if I were suddenly moved to a luxury suite with extra comforts and served a pint of beer at 7:00 AM on a Sunday (the traditional time for executions), I’d start to worry that something was definitely up.

Beyond the grim history, it’s a popular filming location. The BBC drama Time was filmed here—a fantastic series featuring Sean Bean and the seemingly omnipresent Stephen Graham. I’m starting to think someone is digitally inserting Stephen Graham into my memories. He’s in everything now, from Time to the Arctic Monkeys' "When the Sun Goes Down" video. I’ll know for sure when I re-watch an old episode of Rainbow and find Bungle has a Scouse accent and has lost two feet in height.

Photography Notes:
Location: Shrewsbury Prison (The Dana), Shropshire, England.
Subject: Victorian Prison Architecture and the Condemned Cell.
Composition Tip: Using a wide-angle lens is essential here to capture the claustrophobic corridors and the scale of the Victorian wing.