I visited the 'tourist trap' Lancashire village where a witch 'rose from the dead'
A 14th Century Church, village stocks and a witch buried under a stone. No, that's not the opening line to a very poorly formed joke or the title of a children's novel.
What actually ties those things together is the fact you can see them all in one small village near Preston. Woodplumpton is a village and civil parish in the area, best known for its rather witch-heavy history. I visited there this week with our LancsLive photographer to find out more about this remarkable village which is a hit with tourists.
Arguably the most well-known story from the village is its association with sorceresses, in particular, Meg Shelton. Known as the "Fylde Hag", Meg was accused of using witchcraft to destroy crops, turn milk sour and transform herself into animals when she was alive in the 17th Century.
After her death in 1705, Meg was buried face down and her grave covered with a large boulder as it was reported she had repeatedly rose from the grave. This boulder can still be found in the graveyard of St Anne's Church and over the years, has become somewhat of a tourist attraction.
The church itself is interesting too, as the building is known to have existed before the year 1340, but there is evidence of a place of worship on or near the present site as early as the 11th Century. According to the church itself, records show the present building was rebuilt in 1639 and then again in 1990.
Witches' punishment
Outside the church are the village stocks, with ornately carved side stones and wooden inserts in place. On the right-hand stone is a carving that reads 'AB 73' which is presumably the mason's initials and the date, although the century is unknown.
There's also a wicket gate and gate stones still there today, showing Woodplumpton had two sets of stocks when in use. Not only did the village make use of medieval punishment devices in the form of stocks, but also in the form of punishing so-called 'witches'.
Opposite Woodplumpton St Anne's Church of England Primary School is the 'House with Tin Roof', a protected property that, although is having work done to it, is clearly of an age and in disrepair. However, the historical importance of the building is particularly interesting.
According to the villagers, there used to be a pond in front of the property, just by the main road. This is presumably where 'witches', or women who did not fall into societal norms, where punished using a ducking stool.
The history is not only just an interesting aspect of this particular Lancashire village, but it's also good for business too. The Wheatsheaf pub have seen visitors over the years who have popped in for a drink and bite to eat after visiting Meg's Stone.
Behind the bar, Victoria Parkinson welcomed us with open arms as the pub unlocked its doors on a cold, wet Tuesday afternoon. She said: "The history side of it and the village itself does carry its name, which works in our favour.
"We even had a lady in yesterday who came after hearing about the story of the witch and everything. She came and asked if she could take pictures of the pub and village after being at the church."
As the villagers have been told, supposedly a tunnel was created from the pub to St Anne's Church to transport the deceased. "It's all bricked up," barmaid Victoria explained. "If it's all true, I don't know."
'House prices on the rise'
Despite the lack of verification on some of the village's folklore, the mystery and its evident ancient past does still help to bring in people from all over.
She added: "It's a good community. We have a lot of locals come in that are from the area and there are obviously a lot of new houses that are going up and they come up quite regularly. It is a locals' pub but we do get quite a lot of visitors that are passing through."
The appeal of the village has also made for an exponential rise in house prices, as Victoria said: "Trying to buy a house here is just like... as soon as they come on to the market, they're just gone. If you look at the price of houses, literally a mile down the road compared to here, it's frightening the difference. It is such a wanted area."
In the kitchen of The Wheatsheaf, chef Marshal Carter has lived in Woodplumpton since he was four-years-old and now, has only moved to neighbouring village Catforth. He says there's "quite a good sense of community" and the villagers are no strangers to fundraisers and events to raise money for charities and organisations in the wider area. The Wheatsheaf itself have organised a Family Bingo event on Saturday, October 19 which will raise money for Galloways Society for the Blind.
Recently too, the village held a fete where a few thousand people attended. Part of organising this event was Victoria Millsop, the church's warden and a resident of Woodplumpton since 2011.
'A great place to live'
Talking to LancsLive, Victoria explained: "We always make sure the rides for the children are all free, so all the bouncy castles and everything were all free. That's from donations from businesses and stuff.
"We us it as our main church fundraiser as well, so that's great. We do the barbecue, teas and coffees and the fete is just brilliant. We put on a free bus from Cottam and Catforth to bring people in as well."
On living in the village in general, Victoria added: "It's easy to commute, it's easy to get to the railway station. I do feel very lucky to live here."
Moving out of the village, past the 18 and 19th Century dated properties, as well as a Grade II listed building with a thatched roof, you'll leave Woodplumpton and towards Newsham. Only a few minutes away from the incredible history we've described here and you can see some of the more modern day triumphs.
Moons Bridge is located just minutes out of the village, a bridge that carried Hollowforth Lane over the Lancaster Canal. It's made of sandstone and consists of a single arch. Here, there's a marina which offers mooring for over 100 boats.