Holloway Prison: Ruth Ellis and the Executed Women
Britain's largest women's prison stood for 164 years and executed five women, including Ruth Ellis, the last woman hanged in Britain. Though demolished, her ghost still walks the site.
HM Prison Holloway was Britain’s largest and most notorious women’s prison from 1852 until its closure in 2016. During its operation, five women were executed within its walls, most famously Ruth Ellis in 1955—the last woman to be hanged in Britain. The prison was demolished in 2016, but the site remains haunted by the ghosts of the executed, particularly Ellis, whose controversial execution shocked the nation and helped end capital punishment.
The History
Victorian Origins
Holloway Prison opened in 1852 as a mixed-gender facility but became exclusively for women in 1903. Its gothic castle-like facade was iconic, but the interior was harsh and unforgiving.
The Five Executed Women
Between 1903 and 1955, five women were hanged at Holloway: Amelia Sach and Annie Walters (1903) - the “Finchley baby farmers,” Edith Thompson (1923) - convicted of murdering her husband, Styllou Christofi (1954) - murdered her daughter-in-law, and Ruth Ellis (1955) - shot her abusive lover.
Ruth Ellis: The Last Woman Hanged
Ruth Ellis’s execution on July 13, 1955, became a watershed moment: She shot her lover David Blakely outside a Hampstead pub; the trial took less than a day and a half; she showed no remorse, stating “It’s obvious when I shot him I intended to kill him”; public outcry over executing a woman who had been abused galvanized the anti-capital punishment movement; she was 28 years old.
Closure and Demolition
The prison closed in 2016 amid controversies over conditions. It was demolished the same year, with plans for housing development on the site.
The Hauntings
Ruth Ellis’s Ghost
The most frequently reported apparition is a blonde woman in 1950s clothing, seen both when the prison stood and after demolition, often walking near where the execution chamber was located. Residents of new buildings on the site report seeing her, frequently appearing sad but composed, and sometimes looking directly at witnesses before vanishing.
The Execution Chamber Area
Before demolition, staff reported intense activity within the execution chamber area, including overwhelming feelings of injustice and rage, the sound of a trapdoor mechanism, choking sounds, a woman’s voice saying “I understand,” and persistent cold spots that endured year-round.
The Condemned Cell
Ruth Ellis’s final holding cell was a source of particularly unsettling reports: Staff refused to use this area for storage, and the sound of crying, pacing footsteps, and the smell of cigarette smoke (Ellis chain-smoked before execution) were frequently reported. An overwhelming atmosphere of dread permeated the space.
Edith Thompson’s Presence
The woman hanged in 1923, possibly innocent, is associated with unsettling reports; screaming was heard near her execution site, Thompson famously had to be carried to the gallows, her ghost appears distressed and terrified, and some believe she was executed for adultery rather than murder.
The Modern Site
Since demolition and redevelopment, construction workers reported strange occurrences, and new residents experience unexplained phenomena. Ruth Ellis continues to be seen, the ground remembers what happened there, and some residents refuse to live on the site due to its historical significance.
Cultural Impact
Ruth Ellis’s execution had profound effects, including widespread public revulsion at hanging a woman, momentum built for abolishing capital punishment, the death penalty for murder being suspended in 1965, her case remaining controversial, and her becoming a symbol of capital punishment’s cruelty.
The Ruth Ellis Pub
A pub near the execution site was later named after her, acknowledging the historical significance of her case and the site’s dark history.
Holloway Prison held women for 164 years and executed five of them. The building is gone, demolished and redeveloped, but Ruth Ellis—the last woman Britain hanged—still walks where the execution chamber stood. She accepted her fate in life; in death, she cannot leave it behind.
Sources
- Wikipedia search: “Holloway Prison: Ruth Ellis and the Executed Women”
- Historic England — Listed Buildings — Register of historic sites
- British Newspaper Archive — UK press archive