The corner of Oxford Prison where executed prisoners were laid to rest was being blessed on Friday, May 24, by the Bishop of Oxford.
The Rt Rev Richard Harries was leading a service in the small cemetery where condemned murderers were taken from the gallows. About 30 bodies lie in unmarked graves.
The blessing was the idea of Claire Sandford, a human resources manager. She said: "When I was taken on a tour of the prison site I was struck by the distressed feeling of this place. We all talk about these issues, but this made it seem so very real."
The ritual was taking place almost 50 years to the day after the murder of Rose Meadows, which resulted in her Banbury boyfriend, Oliver Butler, becoming the last man to be hanged in Oxford.
The prison is to be turned into a hotel next year, while the cemetery will form part of a heritage site.
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