Britain’s Abandoned Prison & Forgotten Village

Britain’s Abandoned Prison & Forgotten Village Deserted villages, abandoned prisons and forgotten communities… Michael Portillo explores two remarkable locations that reveal the hidden history of Britain. In Series 1, Episodes 3 & 4 of Portillo’s Hidden History of Britain, Michael explores the notorious Shepton Mallet prison and the abandoned village of Imber. Shepton Mallet prison opened 400 years ago and has witnessed thousands of prisoners, executions and escape attempts. During the Second World War, it also became a safe house for some of Britain’s most important historic documents, including the Magna Carta. Michael then travels to Imber Village on Salisbury Plain, a thousand-year-old community that was evacuated in 1943 so the area could be used as a Second World War training ground. Despite promises that residents would be able to return, Imber remained in military hands and became a desolate ghost village. Join Michael Portillo as he unlocks the doors to these extraordinary abandoned locations and uncovers the stories hidden within them. #MichaelPortillo #HiddenHistory #BritishHistory #History #Britain