Would you check in to Cornwall’s spookiest hotel?
We did! What it’s like to spend the night in The Bodmin Jail Hotel
I’ve stayed in plenty of hotels with cell-like rooms, but this was the first time I actually booked in to sleep in a real cell. In the centre of Bodmin, on the edge of Cornwall’s famous moor, stands The Bodmin Jail Hotel, a luxury boutique hotel in the converted notorious former jail.
The imposing stone jail was built in the 18th century and wasn’t the sort of place anyone wanted to check into, especially as they often never checked out – there were 55 executions on site, for crimes like murder and burglary. The last was in 1909 and the jail closed in 1927.
It stood derelict for years, until a recent multi-million-pound renovation saw it transform into a unique boutique hotel, with 70 rooms hewn out of three cells, a grand restaurant and Champagne bar.
So, what’s it like? The building is a domineering stone structure, which has been stylishly updated with glass panels and vaulted roof, so it doesn’t feel dark inside in the long corridors. It still has the jail layout inside, so you walk along catwalks to your room, which have the original heavy iron doors hewn out of the rock. The rooms are well-equipped, the bed very comfortable and the bathrooms beautiful, with free-standing baths. The rooms themselves are dark and cosy, which is lovely in the winter, but a strange sensation when it’s bright and sunny outside.
We ate in the Chapel Restaurant, which is in the former, you guessed it, chapel, and enjoyed the meal, which was modern-British, with local ingredients, such as Cornish beef and local lamb, although they were having some staffing teething problems when we visited, as the hotel was fairly newly-opened. There are plans to build a pool and spa, too, which would be an excellent addition.
Adjoining the hotel, is The Bodmin Jail Experience, which is less a museum about the jail and more a London Dungeon-type attraction. It’s an immersive experience walking you through the history of Cornish crimes, but a word of warning, it’s really scary and my kids were too young for it, despite being for children five and over. The point where you could inspect the gallows and watch how they hung people was too much for us and we scuttled out. Hardier souls will love it. It also tells you how Bodmin Jail is meant to be one of the most haunted places in Britain, which is not quite what you want to hear as you head to bed next door. We didn’t see any ghosts, but it did make us ponder the fate of the former residents of our room as we lay in bed.
Nearby, there’s Bodmin Moor of course and Jamaica Inn, made famous by Daphne du Maurier. The day we visited was suitably eerie. We also loved the National Trust’s Lanhydrock house – especially its beautiful gardens, complete with miniature thatched cottage, see pic, below, which made for a less scary day out.
The British Travel List’s verdict: We enjoyed our stay here – it was comfortable and memorable. I’d say it’s good for one to two nights, as part of a wider trip to Cornwall. Ghost-hunters will particularly enjoy it.
The Travel List
Stay: The Bodmin Jail Hotel has rooms from £203 per night, visit Bodminjailhotel.com
Scare: Spook yourself silly at The Bodmin Jail Experience for a gruesome look at the jail’s history.
The British Travel List is the sister newsletter to The Royal List. It is a weekly guide to my favourite places to visit and stay around the country. I am an experienced travel and lifestyle journalist who writes for British and Australian newspapers and magazines and am passionate about British travel. For more of my work, visit kerryparnell.com