'Blood, sweat, tears – and a great deal of hard work'. That is how the CEO of Shrewsbury Prison has described the 10-year transformation of one of Shropshire's most well-known landmarks.
"Blood, sweat, tears – and a great deal of hard work". That is how the CEO of Shrewsbury Prison has described the 10-year transformation of one of Shropshire's most well-known landmarks.On March 31, 2013, the decision was made by the Ministry of Justice to close Shrewsbury Prison, among seven other public sector prisons, in a bid to cut costs.
CEO Joel Campbell has confirmed that the team have now successfully purchased the entirety of the building, which includes the prison grounds, just in time for the anniversary. "That is what it is and what it will continue to be. What's really positive is that we have been able to bring a new lease of life to the building and bring something different to the town."It's a real positive for not just Shrewsbury, but Shropshire and the West Midlands as a whole. People within Shrewsbury have been really supportive of it, as well as the council and the Shropshire Star.
In 2015, Mr Campbell received permission from Trevor Osborne – chairman of the Osborne group who owned the site – to use it as a 'pop-up' for guided tours, spanning 12 months. "Other museums you can pick up and move anywhere, but with the prison, that's what you can't replicate anywhere else. It was also the town itself, it's such a vibrant place that it all sort of fit together."
Between 1902 and 1961 there were eight executions at Shrewsbury Prison, including of 21-year-old George Riley who was put to death by hanging for the murder of a 62-year-old woman.
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