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Dartmoor Prison Museum

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Yelverton, United Kingdom

dartmoor-prison.co.uk
Museum· Museums and Institutions· Tourist attraction

Dartmoor Prison Museum Reviews | Rating 4.3 out of 5 stars (8 reviews)

Dartmoor Prison Museum is located in Yelverton, United Kingdom on Princetown. Dartmoor Prison Museum is rated 4.3 out of 5 in the category museum in United Kingdom. Visit Dartmoor Prison Museum, one of the UK's most famous prisons. Princetown, Devon, UK.

Address

Princetown

Phone

+44 1822322130

Headquarters

Yelverton

Amenities

Good for kidsToiletsNo restaurant

Accessibility

Wheelchair-accessible car parkWheelchair-accessible entranceWheelchair-accessible toilet

Open hours

...
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B

BADOS MEDIA

My 10 year old found it very interesting and said it was the best small museum he had been to so far ..staff very nice helpful and full of knowledge

D

David Spittle

Well worth the visit and a look in to the past.

G

Gilly Cain

Truly gruesome but proved crime didn't pay in the days when the prison was really somewhere you didn't want to spend time. Still very eerie. Worth a visit

I

Ian Beckly

A good visit, very informative, lots of history to read & be told about. The chap at the desk answered all the questions we threw at him. The mock cell is interesting, as it shows how small the cells really are. Recommend a visit..

H

Holidays from Hels

Staying on the Moor, it had crossed our minds that Dartmoor was famous for its prison. Was it still in use? Were you allowed a drive by? We had to take a look. As we drew closer, we could see there was a prison museum opposite, behind an incongruously colourful array of garden gnomes and hedgehogs. We paid the 12 family entry and were generally entertained by stories of escapees, Kray connections, home-made tattoo kits and the confiscated weapon display. They had pencilled a black eye onto the prisoner (shop dummy) to make it more realistic. There is an easy to miss downstairs area by way of a slotted plastic curtain, which looks like you are going into a butchers/body disposal acid bath area from the Sopranos. No photos are allowed, mainly because it is run by prisoners (who also make the colourful ornaments in their workshops, which explained the display outside). Interesting prison facts: The prison, built in 1815, came into its own in 1850 when Australia stopped taking our convicts. Due to its remote location and harsh regime it housed the most dangerous Victorian criminals. But because it is a listed building, and the Council refused to give it planning permission to upgrade its security in 2001, it has recently been downgraded and only houses category C and D prisoners these days. Were sad to learn that is not the prison from Porridge. You are allowed to pop down the road to photograph the prison itself as long as there are no people in the shot, or they will confiscate your film (if you are from the 1980’s, which presumably is when the sign was written).

K

kevin williams

Great day out lots to see loads of info and surprises

S

Sophie Brooks

A strange but interesting museum, lots to look at and a lot of information to read. You can tell that it's ran by the prison service! Worth having a look around if you're nearby and have an interest in prisons.

C

craig baylissf

Great walks around the museum up to the aerial situated on the hill behind and so many tor's take your pick

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