The announcement of Shepton Mallet Prison's closure has sparked a strong reaction on social media.

Yesterday, the operators of Shepton Mallet Prison announced the closure of this historic site, scheduled for the 2nd of January 2024

The decision stems from a relationship breakdown between Cove Group and City & Country, the prison owners.

Joel Campbell, CEO of Cove Group, explains, "Over the past seven years we have invested over £1 million into Shepton Mallet Prison, and despite a relentless campaign of perseverance, our endeavours to safeguard and enhance this historical site have been met with a disheartening lack of support from City & Country.

"Our efforts to secure a future for the prison through direct purchase were not just undervalued but met with resistance and unreasonable financial demands, especially concerning property insurance costs that far exceed the market rate. Despite our continued efforts to negotiate and find alternative insurance arrangements, City & Country have informed us that if we do not meet their demands then notice will be served imminently.

"This impasse has forced us to make the heart-rending decision to cease operating Shepton Mallet Prison from the 2nd January 2024. The closure is a stark reflection of the disregard shown by City & Country towards a business that has not only celebrated but vitalised the history and economy of Shepton Mallet."

In a social media post, beneath the announcement of the closure, he added: "This is an incredibly sad time for myself and our amazing team at Shepton Mallet Prison This now marks the end of our chapter in the prison's long story. We hope those that have not been yet will visit us in these remaining weeks, to walk the corridors one last time, and to remember the importance of preserving our past for the sake of our future."

The announcement has seen an outpouring of sadness and frustration on social media.

Paul Howlett said: "This is so sad to hear, after all the hard work and dedication the team at attraction have put in made it such a unique and special visitor experience.....a great loss to Shepton and West Country as whole. I wish you all the very best in whatever the future brings you."

Joanne Orford added: "I'm so sad to hear this my favourite place to visit. So much work put into making this a great tourist attraction for Shepton and helping keep an historic building in use. My thoughts are with Charlie and all the lovely staff that have put so much hard work into the Prison they must be devastated."

While Sammie Williams said: "This is so incredibly upsetting to read. Absolutely love looking around the prison and learning the history. It's a massive loss for the town as well."

Shepton Mallet Prison is the world's oldest purpose-built prison, with over 400 years of history. The closure of the site will result in the loss of eighteen jobs and an attraction that has drawn hundreds of thousands of visitors to Somerset and Shepton Mallet since 2017.

Site Manager, Charlie Lawson, said, "Our success has been a testament to the resilience, creativity, and unwavering spirit of our brilliant team. It has been a privilege to protect and enhance such an important part of the region's heritage. The closure is a blow not just to us, but to the entire community that embraced us."

Joel Campbell added, "As a team we are proud of the indelible mark we've left on Shepton Mallet, Somerset, and the UK's heritage tourism. We hope that our story will inspire future generations to cherish and protect our rich, collective history."

In a statement, City & Country said: "City & Country purchased the former Shepton Mallet Prison as part of a portfolio of 4 prisons from the Ministry of Justice in 2015 and obtained planning permission to develop the site for residential use in March 2016.

"The former prison was first let to SG Prisons Limited, understood to be part of the Cove Group, in April 2017 on a short-term basis due to City & Country's intention to eventually develop the site. The arrangement with SG Prisons was an arrangement of mutual convenience whereby SG Prisons provided a presence and a level of security at the site, and they were able to operate their business from the building at a subsidised cost. The lease with SG Prisons is one where they pay no rent but cover the insurance costs whilst ensuring that the buildings do not deteriorate. As part of that agreement, the tenants, SG Prisons, have an obligation to comply with the insurer's reasonable requirements. In May 2023, the insurers surveyor requested that electrical testing needed to be carried out and to date, this request has not been complied with putting not only the buildings and users of those buildings at risk, but also resulting in a risk that the insurers would not pay out in the event of a claim.

"City & Country uses recognised brokers to place its insurance who obtain competitive quotes from underwriters for insurance of the Group's buildings. The amount recharged to SG Prisons is only the cost of insurance to City & Country with no mark-up for administering the placement of the insurance or profit. SG Prisons has suggested that they could place insurance for less money however they have been unable to demonstrate that the figures that they suggested was for like for like cover as of today's date.

"Discussions have taken place with the Cove Group regarding a possibility of agreeing terms for a sale however we were unaware that these discussions had come to an end as we were expecting a proposal from them. However, these are two separate issues and whilst we are happy to listen to proposals they wish to make we cannot allow the listed buildings to be put in jeopardy.

"City & Country has not taken action to terminate the lease for failing to implement the insurers requirements however we have made it known that this is a course we may be forced to take due to their failure to comply with their lease obligations.

"Being custodians of such important and historic buildings comes with a vast responsibility as well as with considerable costs. We need to make sure that we take our responsibility seriously to ensure the future of this building remains a priority and as such, we will now be considering options for its continued use."

The prison is expected to remain open to visitors until its closing date in January 2024, offering a final opportunity for the public to explore this historic site.

Book your tickets before the site closes.