From the dark history of the Pendle witch trials to the colourful shops of Burley Witch Village, the UK is home to an incredible variety of witchy destinations. Discover 15 magical places shaped by witchcraft history, local folklore and modern pagan culture.
When hearing the word witchcraft, most people think of dark fairy tales, Hollywood movies or TikTok trends. But when it comes to magic in the UK, our country is filled with real witchcraft history.
From the notorious witch trials of the 16th to 18th centuries to the occult revival of the 19th century and the rise of modern paganism during the 20th century, our relationship with witchcraft has changed dramatically. What was once deeply feared and brutally persecuted has gradually become more openly accepted and celebrated.
Combined with our growing fascination with folklore, it’s no surprise that the UK remains a hotspot for mystical destinations, ancient stone circles, eerie local legends and places shaped by real witch-trial history.
Of course, there are the obvious places, from Pendle Hill – an eerie backdrop to England’s most infamous witch trials – to Burley Witch Village, a small, charming village dubbed the Salem of the UK! But when I was researching this post, I stumbled across so much more. I always knew the UK was rich in witchcraft history, but I had no idea there were so many places around the country that we could still visit today to experience it for ourselves.
15 Witchy Places to Visit in the UK
Britain’s witchcraft heritage encompasses much more than witch trials. Some destinations preserve the stories of victims persecuted unfairly, while others are shaped by folklore, mystical figures or thriving modern pagan communities. This list covers them all – from darker landscapes rooted in witch-trial history to charming villages that proudly embrace their witchy identities today.
Pendle Hill and the Pendle Villages, Lancashire
Best for: Witch-trial history
Pendle Hill is associated with one of the darkest chapters in English history: the infamous Pendle witch trials of 1612. Several of the accused lived in the surrounding villages, allowing visitors to follow their stories through the landscape where the accusations began. Important stops include Alice Nutter’s statue in Roughlee, St Mary’s Church in Newchurch and Pendle Heritage Centre in Barrowford. This makes Pendle one of the best witchcraft sites in the UK for immersing yourself in real history.
Despite its dark history, Pendle Hill and the surrounding villages feel remarkably charming and welcoming today, although I’ve heard the area becomes especially atmospheric after dark. You can even browse witchy gifts and souvenirs at the famous Witches Galore shop in Newchurch-in-Pendle.
You can also continue to nearby Lancaster Castle, where the accused were imprisoned and tried. Please note that, as of 2026, the Well Tower where they were held is closed for refurbishment.
Glastonbury, Somerset
Best for: Modern witchy culture
As one of the most sacred places in Britain, Glastonbury is steeped in folklore, legend and modern paganism. It has long been associated with religious and spiritual history and is home to multiple sacred spots, including the Glastonbury Goddess Temple and Chalice Well.
Although the town is historically linked more closely to Avalon mythology and Christian history, modern-day Glastonbury has become a hub of paganism, spiritual communities and esoteric shops selling everything from crystals and tarot cards to spell supplies and more. If you’re a practising witch, you’ll find it hard to stick to a budget here!
Its landscape even sits at the intersection of powerful ley lines, which could account for the enchanting atmosphere in the area.
Mother Shipton’s Cave, Knaresborough
Best for: Magical folklore
Did you know that Mother Shipton’s Cave is England’s oldest visitor attraction, welcoming paying visitors since 1630? Mother Shipton was born Ursula Southeil inside the cave during a violent thunderstorm in 1488. She later became one of England’s most famous prophetesses, remembered for her mysterious predictions and magical powers.
Today, you can visit the cave where her story began, make a wish at the wishing well and follow woodland paths beside the River Nidd. The strangest sight is the Petrifying Well, where mineral-rich water gradually coats hanging objects until they appear to turn to stone. With its curious rock formations, ancient woodland and centuries-old stories, the attraction still feels suitably magical today.
York, North Yorkshire
Best for: Witchy tours and magical experiences
York may be famous as one of the most haunted cities in Europe, but it also has a macabre connection to the woman known as the Yorkshire Witch. Mary Bateman was a fortune-teller, healer and con artist who used claims of supernatural powers to manipulate her victims. She was eventually tried in York and executed for murder in March 1809. After her death, her body was dissected and strips of her skin were sold as magical charms. Grim.
Today, you can visit York Castle Museum, which incorporates the former Female Prison where she was held, and stand within the castle courtyard where she was hanged.
Beyond this darker history, York has become one of the most magical places in Britain, filled with witchcraft tours, magical experiences, spellbinding shops and Harry Potter-themed attractions.
Canewdon, Essex
Best for: Little-known witch folklore
Canewdon lies within the part of Essex once known as “Witch Country”, a county that saw more witchcraft prosecutions than anywhere else in England. Although only a handful of formal accusations were recorded in Canewdon itself, the village has developed one of the richest collections of witch and ghost folklore in Essex.
Much of it centres around St Nicholas’ Church. The famous Six Witches legend claims that six witches will always live in Canewdon for as long as its church tower remains standing. Other stories include the Devil’s Run, white mice familiars and local folk magician George Pickingill, who was said to control animals and command the village’s witches. Pickingill is buried in the churchyard, where tales of secret coven gatherings have also endured.
Beside the church, you’ll find the old village lock-up and stocks, which you can still peek inside. Canewdon may be too small to fill an entire day, but it’s well worth a short wander for anyone fascinated by witchcraft, hauntings and curious local folklore.
You could even pair Canewdon with Colchester Castle, around an hour’s drive away, to create a full witchcraft-themed day out.
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Best for: Lesser-known witch trial history
The Pendle witch trials may be England’s most infamous, but fewer people know about those held in Bury St Edmunds. In 1645, the town became the setting for the largest single witch trial in English history. It later hosted the influential 1662 trial of Rose Cullender and Amy Denny, which helped shape the treatment of spectral evidence during the Salem witch trials.
There’s plenty of witchcraft history to discover around this historic market town. Moyse’s Hall Museum is a must, with displays dedicated to the trials, Matthew Hopkins and the methods used to identify accused witches. You can also see a rare copy of the original A Tryal of Witches, documenting the 1662 case.
Elsewhere, you’ll find a real mummified cat hanging inside Britain’s smallest pub, The Nutshell, and can visit the former Old Assizes site near Shire Hall. Bury St Edmunds & Beyond has also created a fantastic self-guided walking route connecting several of the town’s witch trial locations.
Colchester Castle
Best for: Essex witch-trial history
Dating back to 1076, Colchester Castle is home to the largest Norman keep in Europe and offers a fascinating insight into Essex’s witch-trial history. Inside, you can explore the dark prison cells where accused witches were held while awaiting trial and learn more about the conditions they endured.
Although the witchcraft section is small, it packs in plenty of information about the Essex witch trials and Matthew Hopkins. One particularly interesting exhibit allows you to step inside part of the old gaol and experience its dark, damp conditions. Elsewhere, you can see a witch mark on the staircase during the Roman Vaults and Castle Rooftop Tour, browse witchcraft-related books and gifts in the shop, and find a memorial plaque dedicated to the victims just outside the castle.
Read more: How to Plan a Magical, Mystical & Spooky Escape in the UK this Year
Boscastle, Cornwall
Best for: Witchcraft history and Cornish folklore
Hidden within a steep valley on Cornwall’s north coast, Boscastle feels magical before you’ve even reached the village. The winding road descends between wooded hills, offering glimpses of old stone buildings clustered around the river before it opens onto the picturesque harbour.
Boscastle is home to the famous Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, which preserves thousands of objects connected to folk magic, ritual magic, Wicca and witchcraft. Alongside the museum, you can browse its dedicated shop, explore the enchanting Otherworld and shop for crystals and magical gifts at Boscastle Rocks.
The surrounding landscape is rich in folklore too, from the Devil’s Bellows blowhole to nearby Tintagel Castle and its Arthurian legends.
Long Meg and Her Daughters, Cumbria
Best for: Witchy folklore
Long Meg and Her Daughters is one of England’s largest stone circles, famously linked to the story of a coven turned to stone. Long Meg and her daughters were caught dancing on the Sabbath by the medieval Scottish wizard Michael Scot, who transformed them into stone as punishment. The tallest monolith standing apart from the circle represents Long Meg, while the surrounding stones are her daughters.
It’s said to be impossible to count the stones twice and reach the same total. Anyone who succeeds could break the spell, while anyone who fails risks terrible misfortune. If Long Meg is ever damaged, she will run red with blood, while those who count the stones correctly may hear her whisper when they press an ear against the monolith.
Just a stone’s throw away – get it? – you’ll find Little Meg, a smaller prehistoric burial monument decorated with beautiful cup-and-ring carvings.
Burley, Hampshire
Best for: Whimsical witchy charm
Burley Witch Village in the New Forest is one of the most whimsical and magical places to visit in the UK, with its old-world charm, witchy shops and free-roaming ponies. But this enchanting village also has genuine connections to modern witchcraft.
Its reputation is closely linked to Sybil Leek, a famous witch, astrologer and psychic who lived in Burley during the 1950s. She was often seen walking through the village with her pet jackdaw perched on her shoulder. She also named A Coven of Witches, one of several occult shops found in Burley today. Alongside its annual New Forest Fairy Festival, the village is surrounded by folklore involving dragons, smugglers and ghostly happenings. It’s easy to see why Burley stands out among the many witchcraft sites in England.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Best for: Scottish witch-trial history
Edinburgh is one of Britain’s most significant destinations for exploring witchcraft history and persecution. Hundreds of accused people were imprisoned, tried or executed around the city. Important locations include the Witches’ Well, which commemorates those persecuted for witchcraft, and the West Bow, once home to Major Thomas Weir and his sister Grizel, who confessed to witchcraft and were executed in 1670.
Today, the city is filled with witchy things to do. You can dine or stay at the beautifully Gothic Witchery by the Castle, which takes its name from those executed for witchcraft on Castlehill, visit the Museum of Magic, Fortune-telling and Witchcraft or take a witch-trial history tour. You’ll also find plenty of occult and esoteric shops across Edinburgh.
Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland
Best for: Lesser-known Scottish witchcraft history
Unlike Scotland’s larger witch trials, the events in Pittenweem grew from a local accusation and ended in a brutal mob killing rather than a formal execution. The panic began in 1704 when teenager Patrick Morton accused Beatrix Layng of cursing him after he refused her request to make some nails. He later accused several other villagers of tormenting him through witchcraft.
The accused were imprisoned, beaten and tortured inside Pittenweem Tolbooth. The most infamous victim was Janet Cornfoot, who escaped but was later captured and returned to the village. A mob dragged her towards the harbour before crushing her to death beneath a door piled with heavy stones. Nobody was ever prosecuted for her murder.
Today, visitors can see the surviving tolbooth steeple beside Pittenweem Parish Church and follow the route towards the historic harbour where Janet was murdered. You can also explore the dark and damp St Fillan’s Cave, which was used to imprison some of the accused, and visit ‘Witches Corner’ within the Priory ruins, where Janet was buried in an unmarked communal grave.
St Andrew’s Auld Kirk, North Berwick
Credit: Little Lost Travel
North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland
Best for: Scotland’s most infamous witch trials
North Berwick is one of the most significant witchcraft sites in Scotland for exploring real witch-trial history. The North Berwick witch trials of 1590–92 implicated more than 70 people and drew King James VI personally into Scotland’s witch persecutions. Convinced that a coven had used witchcraft to raise storms and sink his ship, the King became closely involved in the investigation.
This pretty and colourful coastal town offers several historic spots connected to the trials. Visit the remains of St Andrew’s Auld Kirk, where the accused confessed under torture to gathering with the Devil on Halloween and raising storms against the King. Information boards at the site explore the kirk’s history and provide a timeline of the trials, while the Coastal Communities Museum also features displays about the North Berwick witches.
Nearby, Dirleton Castle has its own connections to a later series of witch trials held in 1649. Agnes Clarkson was likely imprisoned in its pit prison, while the trials took place in the castle’s Great Hall. Visitors can explore both areas today.
Cwrt-y-Cadno, Carmarthenshire, Wales
Best for: Welsh magic and cunning folk
Hidden in the Cothi Valley, Cwrt-y-Cadno was home to John and Henry Harries, two famous Welsh dynion hysbys – or cunning men. Rather than practising harmful witchcraft, they were known for protecting people from it and helping to remove curses. People travelled from across Wales to seek their help with medicine, astrology, fortune-telling, stolen property, charms, curses and even the summoning of spirits.
John was known for predicting deaths, including his own. After predicting that he would die in an accident on 11th May 1839, he remained in bed all day in an attempt to avoid it. However, the house caught fire that night and he died. Henry survived the fire but later died from tuberculosis at just 28 years old.
John was also known as a flamboyant figure who sometimes dressed in full-length velvet robes. Hello? I think I’ve found the real-life Gale of Waterdeep!
Folklore suggests that John owned a large book of spells bound with an iron chain and secured by three padlocks. He would only unlock it once a year to summon spirits, but whenever the book was opened, it would trigger a severe and violent storm.
The Harries family grave can be visited at St Cynwyl’s Church, while the Pantycoy farmstead still stands today. The original farmhouse was destroyed in the fire but was later rebuilt and can be viewed from outside. Nearby, you can visit the Cwrt-y-Cadno Ritual Stones, where John would unlock his chained book of spells and perform his occult rituals.
Carrickfergus and Islandmagee, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Best for: Ireland’s last witch trial
Witch trials were extremely rare in Ireland, with only a handful of formal cases recorded. The Islandmagee witch trial of 1711 is generally regarded as the last witch trial held on the island of Ireland.
The events began at Knowehead House in Islandmagee, where Ann Haltridge experienced unexplained noises, objects moving around the house – sounds more like a poltergeist than a witch to me! – and violent pains before dying suddenly in February 1711. When her relative Mary Dunbar arrived shortly afterwards, she began suffering extreme fits during which she screamed, swore, threw Bibles and appeared to vomit pins, buttons, nails and pieces of glass.
Claiming that she was being tormented through witchcraft, Mary accused eight local women who were subsequently tried and convicted at Carrickfergus. After her attacks continued, she accused William Sellor, who was convicted during a separate trial later that year. The eight women are thought to have been imprisoned for a year and placed in the pillory, although the fate of William Sellor remains unknown.
Today, you can explore a digital project about the Islandmagee witches at Carrickfergus Museum and Civic Centre and visit the memorial stone inside Islandmagee Community Garden. Knowehead House can also still be seen from outside, although it is privately owned. You can also take a Carrickfergus Castle & Islandmagee Witches Walking Tour, which runs seasonally during the autumn.
Map of Witchy Places to Visit in the UK
Use the map below to find all 15 witchy destinations and start planning your own magical UK road trip.
Final Thoughts From a Morbid Tourist
Researching this post has absolutely made me want to plan an entire witchy road trip around the UK, from exploring folklore-filled stone circles like Long Meg and Her Daughters to deep-diving into eccentric Welsh wizards like the Wizards of Cwrt-y-Cadno.
And I really love that it’s such a total mix of places. I think it’s really important that we have destinations commemorating the victims who lost their lives during the witch trials, ensuring this dark part of British history is never forgotten. On the other hand, we also have places that celebrate witchcraft – where magical shops and welcoming communities show how far we’ve come from the fear and persecution of the past.
Whether you’re interested in dark witch-trial history, magical folklore or modern witchy culture, I hope this list has helped you discover somewhere new to visit.
Continue Your Witchy Adventure
Explore more magical places and witchcraft history around the UK:
Pendle Hill and the Pendle Witches | Burley Witch Village | Stay at York’s Hocus Pocus Tiny Hotel
Leave a Reply