Bodmin Jail was built in 1779 and was the first jail built according to the ideas of the reformer John Howard, including the new concept of housing inmates in individual cells. However executions by hanging were carried out in public until 1862, often attracting enormous crowds, after which they continued inside the walls until 1909. It ceased functioning as a jail in 1927 and since then under different owners has been a private club, a restaurant and now a fascinating museum. Some people have reported paranormal experiences, perhaps related to the building’s dramatic history.