Paranormal Lockdown UK began with Nick and Katrina being locked down in Shepton Mallet Prison. A prison with an imposing history until the day it closed its door in 2013. Quite recently too. From the outset they found themselves seeing shadow figures. Though blowed if we the viewers could get to see any! They were also told of 'The Woman In White' seen by many but alas not them, which Katrina was a tad sceptical about since there have been so many mentions of women in white throughout many locations.
They met with historian, Paul who took them on a quick impromptu tour of the prison and the main areas where sightings have occurred, as well as providing them with a potted history of events. Including his own scarring in the Hanging Room: Hanging Shed, at possibly the hands of an American soldier who was imprisoned there during World War II for murder of one and rape of another women. Paul told of how he was telling the tour group of his final day before being hanged and how his legs buckled under him when he realized this was a reality and uttered, "oh my God I'm going to die." Paul was then burned with a cigarette as soon as he repeated the soldier's final words. Carrying the scar to this day.
Other cells were underground ranging from the 1600's where the poor were kept mainly and anyone was arrested and imprisoned for any crime no matter how minor, including children as young as four just for stealing an apple. Their life expectancy was no more than three months, all huddled in cold, overcrowded cells and plagued with disease.
As the investigation continued, Nick and Katrina saw shadow figures and in the courtyard they saw the shadow which Katrina described as being that of a cloaked woman. Perhaps the one Paul told them about as she walked around looking for ferns. Although Katrina took pictures with a stills camera, they said that nothing was being captured on any of the cameras. Wonder if they tried the kinetic, SLS, stick figure camera Nick used in the beginning, or a thermal camera. The stick figure camera would have been a good idea right then perhaps. Cos we didn't see a thing and I wanted to!
Shepton Mallet is sometimes also known as 'Cornhill' situated in Somerset. It was first opened in 1625 but fell into disrepair very early one and was expanded in 1790. Due to the decreased number of inmates, the prison was closed in 1930, but owing to the outbreak of World War II, it was reopened in 1939 used by the British Army for military purposes and also by the Americans to hold their criminal soldiers. Hence there was an EVP heard on the Geobox which said "British Army." The area known as the "Hanging Shed" was built by the Americans for the specific purposes of hanging. 18 Americans were executed here, 16 by hanging and two were shot in the prison yard. Channel 4 made a film on the prison and how 10 of the18 men hanged here were Black soldiers, and 3 were Hispanic, citing a disproportionate number in contrast to their white contemporaries, which formed 90% of the US army.
(NB rape was not punishable by hanging (a capital offence) in England since 1841.)
It was only recently opened as a visitor centre this year.
In the cells where the infamous Kray twins spent six months, they caught the name, "Kray" on the Geobox, as well as other EVPs. As Nick slept in A Wing he kept hearing doors banging and footsteps, even voices, again we didn't hear those. As Katrina slept in the room where the condemned men were kept before being executed. I just then asked whether Nick was going to sleep there, but turned out it was Katrina. Although she slept soundly the entire night and woke Nick up on two occasions this time round. As Rob left for the night.
Other voices caught included: "underground" quite a bit and I'm sure I heard, "you found me" when they spotted a shadow figure in the prison corridor.
A cool piece of equipment Nick used here was the Angelus device, which displayed images the spirits would have deemed familiar. As Katrina pretended she was to be executed and Nick the executioner, they got intelligent responses to their questions by knocking. These included being kept below and perhaps the amazing one was Cassandra which came through on the Angelus. As well as Cassandra herself in a British accent saying "I don't want to die." That was heartbreaking and how she was "killed" for being a thief. Nick then realizing and piecing together that the knocks, footsteps he heard in A Wing in the night were probably coming from beneath him. There are 89 cells underground, which have yet to be uncovered.
The Angelus and Light Projection device was used by them courtesy of Nick's fellow investigator from Ghosts of Shepherdstown and @VIDIspace, Elizabeth Saint and invented by Martin of ExtremeSense.com, which really came through with some great evidence, not bad for a first time experiment on TV.
Nick also slept in one of the uncomfortable 1700's cells with the rubble and a distinct hissing was heard when he entered the cell for the first time. Although they didn't get anything else when there later, as the energy seemed to dissipate there. Katrina slept in the courtyard the entire night and didn't get disturbed at all. Though she did say she didn't realize where she was when she woke up. That night earlier there were some anomalies flying past her in the courtyard, but again nothing was caught.
The first pic is the one that passed her the first time and the second one is what they specifically highlighted on the ep.
Mind you doesn't this look like a face captured on one of Katrina's shots, facing sideways. It resembles a suspended head. Then again I always manage to find such faces quite a bit.
Next ep is Drakelow Tunnels, familiar to UK viewers and not just cos it was the location of an episode of that awful Most Haunted back in 2014!
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