Shepton Mallet Prison might now host escape room challenges for tourists, but for over two centuries, escaping from its actual cells was a very real – and sometimes successful – pursuit. From Victorian thieves to American GIs and post-war blaggers, a steady stream of inmates tried their luck slipping out of one of Britain's oldest prisons.

Some were caught in hours. Others got comfy. One was found having a pint. This is every known real-life breakout from the prison, as compiled by former officer and librarian Frances Disney.

The early years (1765–1878): powdered wigs and poor planning

• November 1765 – Jeffreys, in for sheep-stealing, made it out and stayed free for 10 days before being recaptured in Lyme Regis.
• 5 July 1776 – Mary Harris, around 30, broke out. She was still at large eight months later, with a 20-guinea reward on her head.
• 2 October 1819 – James Thompson escaped, only to be caught over five months later in Bath.
• December 1835 – John Fowler, William Sage, Henry Mitchell and Thomas Ryan attempted an escape from the chapel. They failed.
• Circa 1860 – A prisoner known only as Judge escaped through a 2-foot-wide tunnel that had housed the treadwheel shaft. He was later captured in Shaftesbury.
• 23 February 1866 – Daniel James pulled a rooftop escape and got over the wall, only to be caught by noon near Upton Noble.
• 12 January 1878 – Samuel Glover Fudge, 27, broke out, was recaptured, and got three extra weeks' hard labour for his trouble.

Wartime madness (1939–1945): bombs, GIs and more breaks

• WWII – British Military Prison:
• Brian Houghton escaped, but later surrendered himself.
• Prisoners Maddison and Gutheridge both escaped – the latter was caught in Shepton Mallet.
• A professional safe-cracker named George M simply vanished from morning roll call.
• July 1945 – American Military Prison:
• Seven US soldiers stacked railway sleepers against a wall and escaped, reportedly with help from the outside. Three stayed at large for almost two months.

The post-war years: crime, chaos and a few pub visits

• 17 August 1966 – A prisoner doing building work for staff slipped away and was found later having a pint in the King William Inn.
• 30 July 1968 – Two prisoners escaped while repairing staff accommodation.
• May 1970 – A prisoner working in town made a break and was caught in the centre of Shepton a couple of hours later.
• 1976 – Three inmates squeezed out a dorm toilet window, scaled the roof, and got clean away.
• Summer 1977 – Three escaped from the plastics workshop window. A fourth was caught mid-attempt. One was recaptured quickly, another hijacked a police car in Bridgwater (yes, really), and the last was arrested three months later for burglary.

The 1980s: sheet ropes and clever cons

• 1981 – A lock was found sawn off, but no one had escaped. Close one.
• 24 July 1981 – Two escaped from an outside working party. Found in Bristol six hours later.
• February 1985 – A prisoner faked unconsciousness after setting his bedding alight and was taken to hospital. He didn't escape but did earn himself a criminal damage charge.
• 7 May 1985 – Another made a break from a working party. Caught five hours later, two miles out of town.
• July 1985 – A prisoner absconded from the Town Council offices and robbed the parish church. He was picked up later and given an extra two months.
• 29 January 1987 – An inmate clearing snow in Collett Park simply legged it. Caught later.
• 28 February 1987 – A prisoner stole a prison officer's car and drove off.
• 7 May 1987 – Three sawed through their cell bars, climbed to the roof and escaped over the wall using knotted sheets.

The final years: 1990–1991 – desperate and daring

• November 1990 – Three broke through the ceiling of their cell, made it to the roof and used more knotted sheets to descend.
• Later November 1990 – Another inmate made a separate escape attempt and succeeded.
• 25 February 1991 – Two squeezed through a hole in the ventilation shaft of the plastics workshop. They were caught a few hours later after a member of the public spotted them hiding.
• March 1991 – A prisoner claimed to have swallowed razor blades to get taken to the Royal United Hospital in Bath – then escaped through a toilet window. Arrested four days later in Cardiff.
• June 1991 – One prisoner ran off during a supervised shopping trip for prison kitchen supplies.
• June 1991 – Another, helping with repairs to the prison wall, simply walked off.
• July 1991 – Yet another escaped during an outside work party – after asking to use the toilet.

So, what have we learned?

Prison walls might be tall, but desperation – and a bit of cheek – can be taller. Whether through toilets, tunnels, rooftops or ride-alongs, Shepton Mallet saw more than its share of prison breaks. These days, you can pay £20 to try and "escape" in the safety of an escape room. Back then, the stakes were a little higher – and for a few, the pint in the pub was worth the risk.