17th Century Witch Trials

The 17th century was the pinnacle of witch trials with estimates varying between 40-100,000 people being trialled as witches in Europe.

Let the trials commence!
Based on real trials from this period, your visitors will be put on trial by Erasmus Grimbottle for various witch related crimes. Have they been showing too much interest in a sick person? Did their neighbours cow go lame? Perhaps they have stopped some butter churning? The audience who will act as jury and members of the village will decide. The magistrate expects all visitors to turn up for trial.

Goodwife Temperance will also be on hand to talk about protection from witchcraft. What were witch bottles? Why did people hide shoes in the house? How do you unbewitch a child? Young visitors will also have the opportunity to print their own witch protection mark to take home, using a wood block print.

This display is run as timed trials 3 or 4 times a day and in between visitors are invited to learn about protection from witches. Can be run in conjunction with our witch school event. Usually run at Halloween, in which case, an indoor area is best suited to the trials.