Guests for G-7 submit to stay in Bodmin Jail: What you need to know

Picture Courtesy: The Guardian, The Bodmin Jail Hotel

About 240 years old, the George III era prison has now been converted into a 70 room hotel. It was closed in 1920. Its conversion took 6 years and cost 500 million pounds. The hotel is situated in one of the most attractive areas of the UK; the rent for a night’s stay at the Daring Jail Hotel? GBP 194. Guests coming to the G-7 Summit next month will also be staying here.

- Bodmin Jail, on the edge of Bodmin Moor, in Cornwell was originally built in 1779. This prison was built according to the plan of Prison Reformer John Howard. It was a very modern prison, where men and women had different cells and was quite airy. The prisoners also had the facility of hot water. They used to work and get their remuneration from the products sold.

- During the reign of Queen Victoria, re-construction of this prison was started and the old building was removed. After some time this was used largely as a debtor’s prison but this all changed in 1887 when imprisonment for debt was abolished. From 1887, parts of this jail were used by the Royal Navy which lasted till 1922.

- This prison has a dark history of its own. In this jail, 55 people were put to death who were mainly accused of rape, theft, and murder, out of which 8 were women. Most of the capital punishment was given in front of the public and people from far used to come to see this.

Now this dreadful jail has been transformed into a beautiful hotel, which has King size beds, moving fountains, and a champion bar, the comfortable furniture and beautiful decorations here are a sight to behold Whos to say? Maybe you end up near a place in your room where a dreaded prison has been given a death sentence.