Ribble Valley Accommodation

Follow the Carved Witch Pictures for the Pendle Way!

Sculptures within woodland trails near the Pendle Heritage Centre

The historic Clarion House at Newchurch-in-Pendle

Witches Galore at Newchurch. For all things Pendle Witches

Grade II Listed Park Hill, a typical Pennine Manor House/Farmhouse dating from the 1660s and now the Pendle Heritage Centre at Barrowford

Early depictions of Quaker George Fox's famous climb of Pendle Hill in 1652 at the Pendle Heritage Centre, Barrowford

The story of the Pendle Witches & their famous trial in 1612, details within the Pendle Heritage Centre Museum

Pendle Heritage Centre Pendle Hill George Fox Pendle Witches Clarion House Pendle UK

Lancashire's hill country - Pendle near Burnley is a uniquely stunning area in the county. The landscape is heather-clad moorland and its iconic crowning glory, famously climbed by Quaker George Fox, is Pendle Hill which can be seen from miles around. The Quaker George Fox climbed Pendle Hill in 1652 and had a vision 'of a great people waiting to be enlightened and gathered in'. He wasn't the first to be captivated by Pendle Hill. Apparently ancient Britons used to climb to the top and bury their dead up here, and there is still evidence of a Bronze Age burial site known as the Beacon at the very top of Pendle Hill. The views atop Pendle Hill are amazing of the Yorkshire Dales and Bowland in the distance and up here you can really appreciate the beauty of this area.

Pendle is most traditionally associated with the witch trials of two women from rival families called Demdike and Chattox. They had great weight and influence in the community and details of their famous trial in 1612 are within the Pendle Heritage Centre's museum. You can follow the trail they took when they marched them off to Lancaster. A choice of outdoor activities are in the area including horse riding and walking. Pendle has its own marked trail - the Pendle Way, a 45 mile circular walk taking in the full beauty of the Pendle countryside. For maps and guides to the Pendle Way visit the tourist information centre at the Pendle Heritage Centre.

Pendle Heritage Centre & Tourist Information at Barrowford

Start your Pendle Witches Trail at the Pendle Heritage Centre. The on-site museum contains exhibits detailing the history of the Park Hill farmhouse which dates from the 15th century. The Pendle Witches are of course given due attention with details of their 1612 trial.

Grade II listed Park Hill, which serves as the heritage centre, was once the home of Roger Bannister, the first person to run a mile in under 4 minutes. There's also an 18th century walled garden and woodland walk, Pendle Arts Gallery and a cruck frame barn with animals on-site. The heritage centre boasts a superb Parlour gift and bookshop, with a fine collection of local history books including many on the Nelson, Burnley and Barrowford area as well as elsewhere in the North West. The popular Garden Tea Room is also within the centre as well as a tourist information point for the Pendle area.

The Pendle Heritage Centre & Tourist Information, Park Hill, Barrowford, Nelson, Lancashire BB9 6JQ Tel. 01282 661704. For the Tourist Information Centre at Pendle Heritage Centre tel. 01282 661701.

The Pendle Heritage Centre is open daily (except Christmas Day) from 10am to 5pm. Museum & Gallery open from 11am to 4pm. Higherford Mill entry is by appointment only. Contact the centre for details. A short & long stay car park are situated just across the road from the heritage centre, and Barrowford offers a choice of charming country pubs including the historic White Bear pub thought to date from around 1607 and which once had a mighty mill behind it.

The Pendle Witches & Witches Galore in Newchurch

The famous trial of the Pendle Witches in 1612 is Pendle's most famous historic story and was widely publicised at the time. Alizon Device was the granddaughter of a woman called Demdike, and on the 18th March 1612 Alizon is said to have put a paralysis curse on a peddler who wouldn't give her some pins when she was begging on a road to Colne. On 30th March 1612 Alizon confessed to witchcraft and implicated not only her grandmother Demdike but also another woman - Chattox. Demdike, Chattox and Cattox's daughter Anne Redfearn were interrogated on 2nd April 1612 and Demdike, no doubt with some considerable persuasion, confessed to having her blood sucked by the devil which apparently then sent her stark mad.

Demdike, Chattox and Redfearn were charged with witchcraft at Lancaster Castle on 3rd April 1612. There was a plot to try and free them on Good Friday, but this failed. A trial followed in August 1612 resulting in nine guilty verdicts and public hangings which apparently drew in huge crowds to Lancaster.

For a comprehensive guide to the Pendle Witch trials and the details of the story visit the Pendle Heritage Centre's museum.

For lovers of witches and all things ghoulish, a visit to the Witches Galore shop in Newchurch is not to be missed (see weblink right for details). The shop contains an extensive collection of books and cds, ceramics, costumes, t-shirts, posters and post cards all pertaining to a witches and ghouls theme! A history of the Pendle witches is also available on the Witches Galore website. Witches Galore, Newchurch-in-Pendle, Burnley, Lancashire BB12 9JR. Tel. 01282 613111.

The Clarion House at Newchurch & The Clarion House Way

The Clarion House, Jinney Lane, Newchurch-in-Pendle Lancashire BB12 9LL. For directions and a comprehensive history of the Nelson ILP and Clarion House see the webguide link right. Details are also on here for the Clarion House Way.

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