Boscastle: Folklore, Magic and More at the British Museum of Witchcraft and Magic

I was delighted to once again be able to visit the British Museum of Witchcraft and Magic while in Boscastle. Our schedule was so full that I was afriad time might not allow for a visit, and I had to forego a walk on the coast path--which I would have loved to do--in order to fit this visit in.That is the biggest problem with travel, I think: there is always more to see and do than can possibly be crowded in to a week or two.

I took my time walking down to the museum from our b&b. It was a lovely morning, not too many people yet out and about. Later in the day the village is crowded as it is a popular place for tourists.

A used book store! And in such a quirky little building, of course I had to go look. 

And buy an old out-of-print book.

Booklovers joy--shelves and shelves of books, all neatly organized. While I was browsing a man came in--the space was so small that we had to kind of work around each other. We started talking, and had the most delightful conversation, finding we shared many common interests. A recent study suggests that talking to strangers is good for us and tends to make us feel happier. I firmly believe in that theory, as I have met so many good people on my travels, and had the best conversations with them.

Finally, inside the museum!

Display after display of the most interesting artifacts. Some things I knew about, but most of it is so strange and out there, at least to me. Still, it's fascinating to see what people believed would somehow help them in their lives--or, darkly, injure others. I know there are still people who believe in these cures, charms and spells, but for me these things are of folkloric interest, and fodder for stories. You can enlarge the photos by clicking on them so that the labels might be readable.

I actually own a "dark mirror" similar to these, that I bought at a yard sale. It came with the strangest story, one I have no yet told but will be part of my presentation at the West Virginia Book Festival next week.

The inside of the museum is a unique space, with the feeling of being in a cave or a hobbit hole.

The Crone's Kitchen includes a narration by the crone of her spells and charms.  Evidently the voice and narrative were changed a few years ago.

Here is a video of the original voice of "Joan the Crone", re-created by the original "Joan", Cassandra Latham-Jones, in her own cottage:

You can read more about Cassandra and the museum's history on her blog.

Carved into the wall outside:

And finally, back into the light, literally and figuratively. I came home with several new books from the museum, all good material for storytelling as well as for interpreting things from old folktales and folklore. I meandered back through the village, stopping for tea and a wonderful Cornish delight called a "flapjack." It's sort of like a Rice Krispie Treat, only made with oats, I think, and slathered in chocolate. Sugar shock for sure.

As I made my way back through the village I met a black lady named Jackie. She was trying to decide if she wanted to go back to the cafe and buy a cake. "I'm a carer," she said, "and going to visit one of my patients. She always makes tea for me, so I was thinking maybe I would bring a cake."

She decided against the cake in the end, and we walked along together and talked. She told me she'd lived in Boscastle for 15 years and loved it there. I asked where people did their shopping, because while the village is full of tourist shops, there are no real stores for groceries, clothes, hardware, etc. She said they went to a town about 20 miles away, or drove into the city of Truro, an hour or more distant. Jackie told me her family was originally from the Caribbean, and that she had many relatives in Florida, where she hoped to go for a visit one day. I did not ask the one question I've been wondering about ever since our conversation: how did she end up in Cornwall, so far from the Caribbean?

For more about the museum, visit these links:

The museum's website gives a good overview and information about visiting.

From a review on Britain Express: "It is a real eye-opener and helps give historical context to the often sensationalised portrayal of witchcraft and magic in films and television. I was enormously impressed by the museum; it is a place to browse slowly and learn, and it helps if you start with an open mind."

More information and photos at Cornwall Museums.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Cornwall: Rambling Around Boscastle

Boscastle is a beautiful village on the west coast of Cornwall, about halfway down the Cornish peninsula. I had been here before, and I was thrilled to have a chance to come back. My visit in 2016 was only for a few hours, but this time I was staying there with my sisters for five days. We would use our b&b as a base for exploring other parts of Cornwall so in a sense this house would be our home sweet home.

But a person could easily find enough to fill their days right there in Boscastle. The coast trail passes right through the village, offering walks with stunning vistas both north and south of the town. There are shops galore, quaint buidings, and of course, the British Museum of Witchcraft and Magic.

I stayed in the village one morning to explore the museum and to just enjoy the village and peoplewatch, while my sisters, who were not interested in the museum, hiked the coast trail. I hated to miss that, but this was to be my one window of opportunity to visit the museum and explore the village.

First, coming into Boscastle: here the road is actually two lanes but for several miles it was a narrow one-lane road. That gray area beyond the green is the sea.

This next photo was taken on the other road into town, a road that ran through what we called "the enchanted forest," a long green tunnel of overhanging tree branches that was truly, well, enchanting.
Then there was this row of cottages, right on the road, which as you can see is one lane, and yes, that's a blind curve ahead with very little wiggle room. We could never stop to take photos on this road, sadly, it was just too dangerous.

The entrance to our b&b driveway was distinctive: two witches' cauldrons!

This is, I believe, the River Valency, that runs between stone walls on either side. There are two rivers that run through the village, the River Jordan being the other.

A charming little shop that I didn't have a chance to visit, as it was closed.

The sway-back old building looks like it might have been a church at one time; today it is a restaurant.

We followed the river to the harbor, and so to the sea.

Theresa found a nice seat, while Judy clambered around on the rocks. This rock is actually black slate, and is used for roofs, siding and other building purposes. At one time it looks like this stone right at the harbor was even quarried.

Walking back towaard the village. The path is steeper than it appears in the photo. The long white building is the youth hostel where one can stay very reasonably if shared rooms and bathrooms are not an issue.

Boscastle has always been a fishing village and while fishing is still an occupation here, tourism has probably replaced it as the main source of the town's income.

The George Hotel. I kinda wish we'd stayed here! I mean, a turret, an old mill wheel, and you know there has to be a ghost or two.

Another interesting place to stay.

Tomorrow, the British Museum of Witchcraft and Magic.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Boscastle, Cornwall, the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, and a Hagstone

We left Ilfracombe and headed to one of the places I was most curious to visit: Boscastle and the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic.

Our way took us along the coast. What an incredible trip, with beauty around every curve.

And then we were in Boscastle. The online pictures I had seen were so beautiful, but would the place measure up?

Absolutely.

There is a coastal trail that goes from Boscastle to Tintagel, We are not up to that level of walking (yet-maybe one day) but it looks breathtaking. I found this video of the hike after we got home, and now I want to go back again!

I am not a believer in witchcraft--I am a folklorist and storyteller, and folk beliefs of all kinds interest me. I will admit, however to being just that little bit superstitious! I toss salt over my shoulder when I spill it, don't walk under ladders and the like. It is the history of the thing that attracts me, and leaves me wondering why people came to such beliefs. So, in we went.

The museum is much larger than it looks from the exterior. We wound through halls and passages, up steps and into room after room, all filled with fascinating items and documentation explaining the origins and customs surrounding each. The museum is largely built on the collection of one man,
Cecil Williamson, who moved the museum to Cornwall in the 1960's after having established it in several over location previously. the museum changed hands a couple of times, and is now run by Simon Costin, Director of the Museum of British Folklore.

Here is just a taste of the museum's contents. To truly explore its offerings would take days, if not weeks.

This display traces some of the persecution and trials of witches in Britain--an extensive and sobering reminder of how superstition and fear can lead to sometimes disastrous results.

Snap Apple, a popular game at Hallowe'en, is expained in detail in the display. We used to play this at Halloween when I was a child, but usually there was just one apple on a string, which we had to try to bite with our hands behind our backs. We also bobbed for apples in a tub of water, another old custom harking back to British roots.

 An apple garland, or the Garland of Knowledge, was believed to contain powers to help in divination and meditation. I have also read that it an apple wreath brings good fortune and fertility to a household.

Room after room contained displays like the ones below. Herbs, potions, charms, chants, symbols, talismans...you name it, this museum has it covered.

When we stopped at Abraeron a few days before, Larry picked up this stone. We thought it was interesting and unique, but little did we know its value.

In the museum we learned that a stone with a natural hole through it, like this one, is called a hagstone. People hung them outside their doors or stables to ward off evil. So maybe Larry's stone will be hung up outside our door, just in case. Oh, it has to be a natural stone, and found be accident. Not nearly so lucky it you drill the hole, or go looking for a hagstone on purpose.

The museum was damaged by a bad flash flood that struck Boscastle in 2004, but fortunately enough forewarning allowed many of the artifacts to be saved. Volunteers came to help in the cleanup effort, and there was a great alarm when a dead body was found in the flood debris--a body that turned out to be a wax model from the museum! You can read much more about the museum on their website.

Boscastle is still a working fishing village despite the influx of tourists today, as lobster traps stacked along the harbor show.

Umm, these smell...bad! Very fishy! I had to find out, to my dismay.

We ended our time in Boscastle at a pub for a quick cup of tea for me and a Guinness for Larry.

Lovely stonework, old beams, hanging mugs and pitchers, warm wood floors made this a comfortable, homey place to stop and rest. Because as we were to find out soon enough, "everywhere you want to go in Cornwall is up."

If you haven't noticed, Larry was loving the pubs and having his Guinness here and there! It was a treat for him, something that he cannot get at home except in bottles. And I loved being about to get a good HOT pot of tea anywhere we went. That is something we truly lack here in the states, except at fancy places that charge a fortune for the privilege.


We had our bread and cheese in the car, so we picnicked on that and some fruit before leaving this lovely place to continue to our next b&b, far up on Bodmin Moor.


Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.