The prison, said to be the most haunted place in Britain, is scheduled to close permanently on January 2, 2024, after years of dedication to preserving the historic site by its management company, Cove Group. Cove Group CEO Joel Campbell blamed the “heartbreaking decision” on a lack of support from the site’s owners, City & Country, which he says erected obstacles and unreasonable financial demands. City & Country disputed claims that they took action to close the site or failed to consider purchase proposals.
The closure comes as a blow to the prison’s employees as well as paranormal investigators who have long been drawn to explore the supposedly ghostly grounds. Self-described ghost hunter Tony Ferguson lamented the loss of a popular tourist attraction and hub of spirit activity, recalling his own experiences of photographing apparitions and recordings devices seemingly manipulated by ghosts at the prison.
With only weeks remaining for the public to visit, many hope a solution can be reached for the prison to remain open as an important heritage site and continue hosting paranormal events into the future. But the scheduled January 2 closure signals this may be the final chance to walk its storied corridors.