Kreed Kafer and the Domesday Book: Haunted Bodmin Jail

Reviewed by Josh N · Updated August 29, 2026 · How we verify

Most places that trade on a ghostly reputation would rather you forgot the time a television medium was caught out on their premises. Haunted Bodmin Jail, on the edge of Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, is the site of one of the most quoted debunkings in British paranormal television, and it is also a genuine eighteenth century prison with a long and grim service record. Both things are true at once, which makes it an unusually honest place to visit.

Quick Facts on Bodmin Gaol

The prison sits in the town of Bodmin, on the edge of Bodmin Moor. It was built in 1779 and closed in 1927. Much of the range fell into ruin, but parts have been turned into a tourist attraction and another large part has been converted into a hotel. Guided tours, a paranormal walk and a self-guided route are all available, along with a gift shop and museum operated by Bodmin Jail Limited.

Sir John Call’s Design and 150 Years of Use

Bodmin Gaol was designed by Sir John Call and built in 1779 by prisoners of war. It ran for 150 years, and in that time it saw over 50 public hangings. Its place in penal history is not trivial: it was the first British prison to hold prisoners in individual cells, at a period when most gaols simply herded inmates together.

Among the names attached to the place are F. Digby Hardy, an inmate of the naval prison, and Selina Wadge, executed in 1878. The jail closed in 1927, and since that date there has been no prison within the county of Cornwall.

The Domesday Book Spent a Winter Here

The oddest chapter in the building’s history has nothing to do with ghosts. During the latter part of the First World War, the prison was used to hold some of Britain’s “State Papers and Records”, including the Domesday Book. The material was in the jail in 1918 to 1919, tucked away in a granite prison on the edge of a Cornish moor for safe keeping.

Derek Acorah, Ciaran O’Keeffe and the Anagram

Series 6, Episode 1 of the reality television programme Most Haunted was filmed at the jail, with presenter Yvette Fielding and medium Derek Acorah. After many unsuccessful attempts, the team supposedly made contact with light and sound entities, and Acorah claimed to have been possessed by a spirit named Kreed Kafer, described as a South African.

It was later revealed that Kreed Kafer was a fictional character, invented by parapsychologist and crew member Ciaran O’Keeffe purely to test Acorah and his abilities. The name was chosen because it is an anagram of the phrase “Derek Faker”. Whatever a visitor makes of the wider claims at Bodmin, that episode is a useful reminder to keep a cool head on the paranormal walk.

What People Report Inside the Cells

Bodmin Jail has inspired many ghost stories, has attracted paranormal researchers, and hosts ghost walk events for tourists. Beyond the Most Haunted episode, the surviving accounts are the usual mix of light and sound anomalies reported by investigators during organised sessions. None of it is verified, and the setting does a great deal of the work: bare cells, thick stone, and the documented fact of more than fifty public executions on the site.

Booking a Tour or a Room at Bodmin Jail

Redevelopment began in 2015, and the site became a hotel in 2021. Bodmin Jail Limited operates the museum, gift shop and guided tours. Visitors can choose a heritage tour, a paranormal walk or a self-guided visit. The attraction includes original jail cells, an administration block, and a recreation of Bodmin Moor built where the old hospital wing once stood.

The paranormal tours include a ghost-hunting experience in which guests can use tools such as ouija boards to attempt to communicate with spirits. Treat that as entertainment rather than evidence. Check the official site for opening times and booking before travelling, and stick to the parts of the site open to the public.

Address: Bodmin, Cornwall

See Bodmin Jail for Yourself

Sources

• Plans for new faith-based prison
• Haunting attraction is Cornwall's best kept secret
• Dead scary: Bodmin Jail ghost tours
• BadPsychics by Jon Donni – News
• mirror.co.uk
• Wikipedia: Bodmin Jail

Ghost Tours Nearby

The Ghost Walk Padstow – Tour of Cornwall’s Myths and Legends★ 4.8 (99)from $21

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