Most Haunted

The team visits the historic Exeter Old Courts, a former centre of justice where many lawbreakers were sentenced to death. The site witnessed numerous capital punishments, including the condemnation of the infamous Bideford witch, whose trial remains a notable part of the court’s grim history.

Exeter Gaol is a television programme presented as a single episode. It falls within the documentary‑style genre, offering viewers a look at a historic penal site in the south‑west of England. The series title signals that the focus will be on the legacy of the old gaol and its surrounding judicial buildings. In this episode the production team makes their way to the Exeter Old Courts, the former venue where a large number of offenders met the ultimate penalty of death. Among the condemned was the infamous Bideford witch, a figure whose trial has become part of local folklore. The visit centres on the court’s role in handing down capital sentences and highlights the stark reality of justice in that era. The Old Courts themselves provide a tangible link to the past, their stone walls bearing silent witness to the severe punishments once meted out within. By stepping inside, the presenters aim to convey the atmosphere of a place where law and order were enforced with finality, and where stories like that of the Bideford witch were recorded. Overall, the episode gives a concise snapshot of Exeter’s judicial history, concentrating on the grim outcomes that took place in the Old Courts and the lasting notoriety of the witch trial that still captures the imagination today.