Your Pendle Witch Weekend Itinerary
This is an amazing weekend tour, where you will be following in the footsteps of the Pendle Witches. This is an entralling journey as you learn tales of murder, mystery, revenge and witchcraft. The weekend tour includes visits to many of the infamous Pendle Witches hot spots including Clitheroe Castle and their regular meeting places, along with a Ghost Hunt on Pendle Hill itself. This will include the spot where an old tooth fell on a seance table in the middle of a vigil here!
Your weekend will begin from the moment you arrive at the hotel.
On the Friday after checking in (after 3pm) and relaxing, we will perform a meet and greet before enjoying a delicious supper. After dinner you will then be taken by coach from the hotel stopping off at the haunted Clitheroe Castle, where you will learn what the history and the impact of the witches had on local residents. We will then make our way to Pendle Hill where we will carry out a vigil at the spot where Malkin Tower was thought to have stood, which was a regular meeting place for The Pendle Witches on Pendle Hill.
This will include table tipping, Ouija Boards and seances using different ghost hunting equipment. If the weather is raining then we will still attempt to go to the hill but you will have the option to opt out. In extreme weather conditions we will make alternative arrangements.
After, we will make our way back to the luxurious hotel where you can enjoy coffee and biscuits. If you still have enough energy you can continue to ghost hunt in the hotel.
On the Saturday morning after indulging in a delicious cooked breakfast, you will join the coach and our famous historian, Simon Entwistle, for a guided tour of the Pendle Witch area. This tour will take you to all the areas that hold a real fascination for all those that are interested in the Pendle Witch story. We will be taking you to the Pendle Witch Museum where the story really takes hold and you can learn through video and memorabilia about the witches themselves.
After lunch at the historic Pendle Inn, we will be moving onto the churchyard in Newchurch which holds a lot of prominence with the Pendle Witches and their ancestors, plus visiting the Pendle Witch shop, where the owner has dedicated herself to the Pendle Witches story. Simon Entwistle will accompany us throughout the journey and bring to life this fascinating story.
Arriving back at the Dunkenhalgh Hotel and Spa where you will have enough time to relax and take advantage of the spa facilities or take time out in your luxurious rooms and bar.
On the Saturday evening, you will again enjoy a delicious meal with the group. After dinner you will have the opportunity to Ghost Hunt at the very haunted Mercure Dunkenhalgh Hotel using our ghost hunting equipment. This includes some extremely active bedrooms, haunted stairways and other rooms known to be hotspots for paranormal activity. The Dunkenhalgh Hotel has given us so much activity in the past and we know that this weekend will not disappoint.
On Sunday morning, you will once again enjoy a delicious breakfast before heading home (checkout before 11am).
Ghosts of Pendle Hill, Clitheroe Castle and Dunkenhalgh Hotel
This is a ghost hunt like no other as we follow in the footsteps of the Pendle Witches and attempt to make contact with those sent to their deaths for practicing witchcraft which includes carrying out a vigil on Pendle Hill itself at the meeting place which was the foundations of Malkin Tower.
Pendle Hill
Your Ghost Hunt at Pendle Hill will take you on a journey of mystery, intrigue and a touch of terror as we walk in the footsteps of the infamous Pendle Witches.
The Ghosts of Pendle Hill are nearly always connected to the Pendle Witches, however, there are occasions when we have picked up on the ghosts and spirits of others who have died on this daunting and barren hillside. These include the ghosts of children, aircraftsmen who have landed here after having their airplanes bombed in the war, along with other unfortunate souls who have died on the hill.
Some of the ghostly activity we have experienced on Pendle Hill defies any sort of logic. On one occasion whilst carrying out a Ouija Board experiment on Pendle Hill at the foundations of Malkin Tower, a tooth landed on the centre of the table. This shocked everybody concerned and after having obviously checked to ensure that nobody in the group had lost a tooth, which was definitely human, it left us in a quandry as to how it got there. The tooth was identifed as belonging to an adult of around 40 years of age and was in fact an old tooth.
Clitheroe Castle
Once centre of the allegations for the murders by witchcraft in 1612, Clitheroe Castle is said to be haunted by former guards of the castle, who still, to this date like to keep watch. Other spirits include that of a female, who has been witnessed walking around the grounds and there have been numerous reports of eerie screams coming from within the castle.
The Dunkenhalgh Hotel
Reported to be haunted by many ghosts and spirits, the Dunkenhalgh Hotel is also said to be home to a boggart, who appears as a young French lady. This spirit is seen dressed in a winding sheet, known by many as Lucette, whose story began with the Petre family.
Lucette was a governess for the Petre's children and she was swept off her feet by a dashing young army officer who made her feel loved and convincd her that he wanted her hand in marriage. Unfortuntly, his promises were lies which Lucette soon realised. Towards the end of her saddened life, she was often seen wanding, looking lost around the woods and one night, heartbroken Lucette threw herself off the bridge into the water below and sadly drowned.
Lucette's ghost has been reported by many guests of the hotel in a number of places. She is especially seen sitting on the end of beds.
History of Pendle Hill, The Pendle Witches, Clitheroe Castle and Dunkenhalgh Hotel
The trials of the Pendle witches in 1612 are among the most famous witch trials in English history and some of the best recorded of the 17th Century.
Pendle Hill
The twelve accused lived in the area around Pendle Hill in Lancashire and were charged with the murders of ten people by the use of witchcraft. All but two were tried at Lancaster Assizes on 18th and 19th August 1612, along with the Samlesbury Witches and others, in a series of trials that have become known as the Lancashire Witch Trials. One was tried at York Assizes in July of 1612 and another died in prison. Of the eleven who went to trial nine women and two men were found guilty and executed by hanging; one was found not guilty.
The official publication of the proceedings by the clerk to the court, Thomas Potts, in his The Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches in the County of Lancaster book said the number of witches hanged together, nine at Lancaster and one at York, make the trials unusual for England at that time.
It has been estimated that all the English Witch Trials between the early 15th and early 18th Centuries resulted in fewer than 500 executions.
Six of the Pendle Witches came from one of two families, each at the time headed by a woman in her eighties: Elizabeth Southerns (aka Demdike), her daughter Elizabeth Device and her grandchildren James and Alizon Device; Anne Whittle (aka Chattox) and her daughter Anne Redferne. The others accused were Jane Bulcock and her son John Bulcock, Alice Nutter, Katherine Hewitt, Alice Gray and Jennet Preston.
The outbreaks of witchcraft in and around Pendle may demonstrate the extent to which people could make a living by posing as witches. Many of the allegations resulted from accusations that members of the Demdike and Chattox families made against each other, perhaps because they were in competition, both trying to make a living from healing, begging and extortion. They are said to haunt the ruins of Malkin Tower on Pendle Hill which is where we will be carrying out our overnight vigils. The Pendle Witch story really is fascinating!
Clitheroe Castle
Built around 1186, the Grade I listed medieval Norman Clitheroe Castle sits above the River Ribble on a steep limestone rock. The castle was built by Robert De Lacy and his family and after the death of Henry De Lacy in 1311, the castle passed Earldom of Lancaster.
The Clitheroe Castle site then remained in private ownership until 1920, when it was sold to the people of Clitheroe to create a war memorial. Today the buildings on the site are the home of Clitheroe Castle Museum. The keep is the second smallest surviving stone built keep in England.
The Dunkenhalgh Hotel
The Dunkenhalgh Hotel is a Grade II listed Tudor style country house, which was turned into a 4 Star Hotel and Spa in 1947.
Originally built by Roger De Dunkenhalgh in 1285, the house has passed through many families in its time. In 1332, the estate fell into the hands of the Rishton family, who kept the estate in their family for more than 250 years. After changing hands from Roger De Dunkenhalgh to the Walmesley Family in 1571, it was then passed to Petres in 1712.
The current 19th Century structure, as it stands today incorporates the oldest parts of the house and several family portraits are still hung in the Portrait Room to this day. There are a number of interesting historical features in the house, including an 18th Century staircase.
Your Event Includes
- Use of ghost hunting equipment including EMF Meters, K2 Meters etc.
- Experiments including glass divination, table tipping and Ouija Boards.
- Workshop and separate vigils for returning guests.
- Ghost hunting vigils and séances in small groups.
- Includes 2 nights of hotel accommodation (Additional cost of single room supplement per night)
This is a weekend event which includes 2 nights, 4-star hotel accommodation, bed & breakfast and evening meal.
Once you have booked, please contact the office either via email at [email protected] or by phone on 0115 9720570 to let us know your room requirements, please select from; double, twin or single and whether you or anyone in your booking have any dietary requirements or allergies.
Please note: there is an additional room supplement of £40.00 per night for single room occupancy and this will be added to your booking once we know your requirements.
Please note: This event is not suitable for anyone with mobility issues, if you are concerned, please contact the office.
Address, Maps & Hotels
Address & Hotel Information
Dunkenhalgh Hotel
Blackburn Road
Clayton-Le-moors
Accrington
Lancashire
BB5 5JP
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Parking
Information
This is a weekend event which includes 2 nights, 4-star hotel accommodation, bed and breakfast and evening meal.
Once you have booked, please contact the office either via email at [email protected] or by phone on 0115 9720570 to let us know your room requirements, please select from; double, twin or single and whether you or anyone in your booking have any dietary requirements or allergies.
Please note, there is an additional room supplement of £40.00 per night for single room occupancy and this will be added to your booking once we know your requirements.
Please note: This event is not suitable for anyone with mobility issues, if you are concerned, please contact the office.
Accessibility
- This location is not suitable for wheelchair users
- This location is not suitable for people with mobility issues or walking difficulties
Important
- All attendees must be 18 years or older
- All attendees must bring a torch
- Wear sensible shoes and warm layered clothing as the location may get cold at night
