UK engineers unearth 'witch's cottage'

Fishtits

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/1208/breaking49.html

Engineers working for a British water company have unearthed what could prove to be one of the most infamous sites in England’s history of witches and warlocks.

United Utilities’ workers were “stunned” to discover a 17th century witch’s-style cottage, with a mummified cat sealed into the walls, during a routine construction project in Pendle, Lancashire.

The "spellbinding" find occurred near Lower Black Moss reservoir in the village of Barley, which nestles in the shadow of Pendle Hill - the UK’s premier witching hotspot.

Speculation is already rife among local historians that the building could be the lost Malkin Tower - the site of a notorious meeting of the Pendle witches on Good Friday, 1612.

Archaeologists brought in by the North West water firm to survey the area found a very well-preserved building from the 1600s, hidden beneath a grass mound.

The building contained a sealed room, with a mummified cat bricked into the wall. It is believed the cat was buried alive to protect the cottage’s inhabitants from evil spirits.

Carl Sanders, United Utilities’ project manager, said: “It’s not often you come across a fairytale cottage complete with witch’s cat.

“The building is in remarkable condition. You can walk through it and get a real sense that you’re peering into the past. Pendle Hill has a real aura about it, and it’s hard not to be affected by the place.

“Even before we discovered the building, there were lots of jokes from the lads about broomsticks and black cats. The find has really stunned us all.”

Simon Entwistle, an expert on the Pendle witches, said: “In terms of significance, it’s like discovering Tutankhamun’s tomb.

“We are just a few months away from the 400th anniversary of the Pendle witch trials, and here we have an incredibly rare find, right in the heart of witching country. This could well be the famous Malkin Tower - which has been a source of speculation and rumour for centuries.

“Cats feature prominently in folklore about witches. Whoever consigned this cat to such a horrible fate was clearly seeking protection from evil spirits. It’s an absolutely spellbinding discovery.”

Frank Giecco, from NP Archaeology, led the team who unearthed the Pendle building.

He said: “It’s like discovering your own little Pompeii. We rarely get the opportunity to work with something so well preserved. As soon as we started digging, we found the tops of doors, and knew we were onto something special.

“The building is a microcosm for the rise and fall of this area, from the time of the Pendle witches to the industrial age. There are layers of local history right before your eyes.”

The United Utilities’ engineering project has been put on hold while the archaeologists complete their investigation of the site.

Experts believe the cat was probably placed in the walls at the start of the 19th century, and the room’s two doorways sealed up. The building also contains a 19th century kitchen range, still in its original position.

Many artefacts from the building’s latter years, such as Victorian crockery, a tin bath and a bedstead, were discovered around the site.

TeddyTedson

Is this yer wan from James Bond?

ballsymchugh

http://www.isthatcherdeadyet.co.uk/

Wetai

Easy: Her mother.

FatherLen

the fiery pits of mount doom?



edit: now my post doesn't make sense!

EKClarke

Mummified cats has nothing to do with witch craft. Victorians used to do it all the time.

TheZohanS

Another quality thread in AH. :rolleyes:

Richard Hillman

Yo I'm loike so left wing and stuff loike. I hate Thatcher and stuff and im gonna loike have a party when she dies and stuff even though I wasn't old enough to remember her loike cuz I love che guevara and thatcher shot him and stuff.

#VoteBoyd-Barrett

#occupydamestreet

#freepalistine

strobe

Richard Hillman wrote: »

Yo I'm loike so left wing and stuff loike. I hate Thatcher and stuff and im gonna loike have a party when she dies and stuff even though I wasn't old enough to remember her loike cuz I love che guevara and thatcher shot him and stuff.

#VoteBoyd-Barrett

#occupydamestreet

#freepalistine

Lol, wtf?

OneArt

Oh ****sticks, the jig is up. They've found us.

*flies away on broomstick*

policarp

They found Maggie Thatcher's dolls house, where she used to stick needles in people, like the miners, the poll tax objectors, the Argentinians, the hunger strikers, the French and her own conservative buddies. . .

Yakult

Poor cat.. Surely that's animal cruelty.
I think we need to set a facebook page to catch these scumbags and get justice.

Broads.ie

I can't believe this hasn't made it to the Paranormal forum yet. They are usually mad for stuff like this, I thought they'd be ecto-plasming in their pants by now.