We recently enjoyed a guided tour visit to Bodmin Jail as part of a whole school trip educational trip.
After a quick visit to the stocks for a few, our students had a chance to experience the ‘Dark Walk’, using theatrical effects and the latest technology it transports you back to Cornwall’s murky past, enabling a first-hand experience of the penal life of a working 18th and 19th-century prison on the fringes of the windswept Bodmin Moor.
The haunting cinematic visual experience, with a few unexpected surprises, was made all the better by an engaging and entertaining guide who told stories of smuggling, mining and the everyday hardships facing Cornwall’s poorest, including tales from infamous prisoners.
The visit to Bodmin Jail brought to life many of the topics being studied within History and gave students the opportunity to experience what is was like to be on the wrong side of the law in a different era.
