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HUNTING HIGH & LOW
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History and legend have woven a spell over
Pendle. Pendle Hill rises above an ancient hunting ground, once the home of wolves and wild boar and to this day is dotted with tiny hamlets and farms. It is still an untamed place, full of mystery and infamous as the home of the Pendle Witches who were tried and executed for witchcraft in 1612.
It is a magnet for ghost hunters, for paranormal investigators, for history and heritage lovers. You mention “witches in the UK” and for a variety of reasons, Pendle Hill is one of the first, IF NOT the first that is mentioned. When we found out that our good friends The Haunted Hunts had been to Pendle Hill for season 3 of their popular self-titled show on Amazon Prime, we got in touch with Danny from The Haunted Hunts and asked him a few questions.
So, Danny, silly question, but why Pendle Hill?
After how successful season 2 was we decided to stick to that format for season 3 and allow the viewers to follow the journey again which seemed to go down very well in the last series. We had a few options on the table for season 3 but Becki and I have had a bit of an obsession with Pendle Hill for a very long time and after a trip up there in January it made perfect sense to try it.
What is it about Pendle Hill that attract so many?
If you have never been to Pendle Hill, then you need to! It’s one of the most unique places in the country, the atmosphere surrounding the area is incredibly strong and the whole place has been largely unaffected by time so you really do get the sense of its history and what it would have been like back in 1612.
PENDLE HILL, UP THERE WITH THE BEST...
So, it was a case of just turning up and filming?
Hell no, I wish, It took a lot of effort to film there and pre-production work was going on for months before we spent our investigation week there and behind the scenes it was full on for weeks and weeks. The hardest thing about trying to organise a proper shoot there was the locations. A lot of people get confused when you say you are investigating Pendle Hill with some people even thinking we spent a week camped on the hill.
There is more to Pendle than just the hill, yes?
It is the areas surrounding the hill itself which are active, and it is the little villages such as Newchurch & Barley which lie at the very heart of the Pendle witch story. We have been extremely lucky with the locations we were granted access to including the famous Lower Well Head Farm which last appeared on television in 2004 on Most Haunted LIVE.
“We think that that MH Live from Pendle Hill is probably the one that most people remember, this was 16 years ago when MH was in its pomp and so very watchable.”
Agreed, as it happens, we are only the 2nd ever team to have been granted permission to investigate it and it was an incredibly special moment.
Why is Pendle Hill considered to be one of the most haunted locations
in the UK? I think obviously the events that occurred back in 1612 have had a huge effect on the area but what is interesting for me is the accounts from some of the accused regarding the ‘pestering from evil spirits’ up to 30 years prior to 1612.
So, there is an interesting back story to 1612?
Thomas Potts is the man who documented the entire trial which is probably why it’s the most famous witches trial in English history and having studied the book intensely you really start to get an understanding of what, who and why. The accounts from the two lead women in the Pendle witch story Elizabeth Southern’s ‘Old Demdike’ & Anne Whittle ‘Chattox’ are fascinating. These women claimed they were visited on several occasions from evil spirits in the form of dogs, bears, hares and even a Christian man. These were known as the ‘familiars’ and they were called Fancy, Dandy, Ball & Tibb. A common theme in Thomas Potts account is how often these ‘familiars’ appeared to the likes of Alizon Device, James Device, Elizabeth Southern’s & Anne Whittle, the familiars would aid these people in taking revenge on all those who did them harm.
So, how much of is fact, how much of it is fiction? How much has the story been exaggerated over the years?
I guess we’ll never know but with everything that happened back in 1612 it’s no surprise that it’s left its mark on the area and there are literally thousands of eye witness accounts, more than any location I’ve ever been to.
Did you seek expert advice?
We were incredibly lucky to be joined by Simon Entwistle, who runs local tours here and is the go-to man for “Pendle” knowledge. He basically told us “on Halloween, Pendle Hill is more like Wembley stadium” and that pretty much sums up how popular this location is for paranormal enthusiasts.
What can you tell us about Malkin Tower?
Going into this series, one of our main goals was to try and locate the exact site of Malkin Tower which was home to Elizabeth Southern’s and the scene of the famous Good Friday meeting. There is no factual evidence of where it once stood as it was destroyed shortly after the executions took place, but archaeologists believe there are 4 possible sites where it may have been. On the third day of our investigation week, we received a call from our research team who were convinced they had found the exact site and had gained us permission to investigate it. Saddlers Farm, a farmhouse dating back to 1714 is believed to be the most possible site of the famous Malkin Tower and all our research indicates that it once stood on this site. “Our investigation there was on another level and we honestly believe we have captured significant evidence to back up the claims that this was the site of Demdikes home.”
That’s amazing, what other things can viewers expect for season three?
I believe this is our best series to date, a huge amount of work and research has gone into this and viewers will really feel that journey format that made season 2 so popular. It is impossible to cover Pendle Hill properly without delving deep into the history of the place and the famous events that occurred in 1612. Episode 1 will give viewers the chance to learn all about the Pendle witch story in extremely accurate detail which really sets the scene for the rest of the series. Just like season 2 in Chester, we are given a day to day regime to follow and each night we investigate a different location. Each location we cover has a unique feel to it and as the week goes on, we suddenly began to realise that this isn’t a case of being able to debunk the paranormal activity that takes place around Pendle Hill but it was a case of trying to capture as much of it on camera as possible because it’s very real and very intense. As a team we believe we have captured our best piece of evidence in this series and I cannot wait for everyone to see it.
So, how would you sum up Pendle Hill?
I would say Pendle Hill is a MUST for any paranormal investigator, it is a totally unique location with extremely rare hauntings. I honestly believe the entities that haunt Pendle Hill have the ability to move around the area and follow you, whether they’re attracted to what you’re doing or they can feed off your energy, I don’t know but that’s certainly the feeling we got when we were there, we often felt like we’d been followed into different locations and whatever we were dealing with was extremely intelligent.
Sometimes places can be hyped up so much that you come away feeling disappointed, am guessing this wasn’t the case?
The atmosphere around the place is like nothing we have ever experienced and at times it felt like we were walking in the footsteps of those accused. Were the Pendle witches truly guilty of witchcraft? I believe that some of them were, for sure, but not all and especially in the case of Alice Nutter who I believe had been set up after a dispute with local magistrate Roger Nowell.
Do the spirits of those accused still haunt the location?
I can’t say that we gained evidence to prove that but what I can say is that there is certainly something going on at Pendle Hill and we’ve gained some extremely strong evidence that I cannot wait for everyone to see. Pendle Hill was a crazy adventure and one that we will never forget.
Do you think you have improved and grown as a team since season 1, even before, since you first started ghost hunting?
Our tactical approach in each investigation was planned out perfectly and I think this helped in a huge way. We never stop learning, we’re not perfect, but who is?
“For me it was a dream come true to put this location that I’ve had an obsession with for so long into a full television series and I’m extremely proud to put such a fantastic UK location out there for everyone. The support we have received over the last 18 months for this show has been surreal and I would like to thank everyone who have tuned in and voiced their support for what we do. You guys are amazing!” Danny
Aww thanks Danny, (he does mean us
