The Museum of Witchcraft, Boscastle, UK 60th Anniversary
http://www.museumofwitchcraft.com/
This year sees the anniversary of the Museum of Witchcraft in the beautiful picturesque village of Boscastle in Cornwall. On the 14th May 2011 there was a gathering and the launch of the book The Museum of Witchcraft – A Magical History.
Together with the book launch there were talks under the general umbrella of ‘The Guardians of Cornish Magic’.
(See below for a report from… )
The history of the museum itself is colourful. Cecil Williamson was the founder. After an abortive attempt to open the museum in Stratford-upon-Avon he relocated to Castletown, the Isle of Man in 1951.
There he teamed up with Gerald Gardner. However their partnership was far from amicable and documents at the museum apparently attest to how Gardner once tried to stab Williamson with a ritual knife.
In 1961 it moved to Boscastle to Cornwall where it has been ever since.
Back in August 2004 floods ripped through Boscastle and although thankfully no lives were lost businesses and cars were washed away. Among the casualties was also the Museum of Witchcraft. When I was there in March 2011 one could still see where the water level was. The whole ground floor was severely damaged but in 2005 the museum was re-opened.
Today it is thriving once more. For Dutch visitors there is the added delight of the Richel collection. See my review of The Occult Reliquary for photos and more information.
For anyone interested in folk magic and witchcraft the museum is an absolute must. Here are some of the photos I took. Boscastle is a lovely village and makes for a wonderful day out.
On can also be a friend of The Museum … let’s hope it will be there for a long time to come!
Bright Blessings, Morgana,
More information:
The Museum of Witchcraft – A Magical History: A Collection of Memories Celebrating 60 Years
Museum of Witchcraft’s 60th anniversary celebration and book launch./Gemma Gary
http://cornishtraditionalwitchcraft.wordpress.com/2011/05/15/museum-of-witchcraft-60th-anniversary-book-launch/
The Museum of Witchcraft Boscastle in 2010
Film made by Tom Chick & Florence Kennard with Tom Bailey, Music from ‘Chanting’ and ‘Chanting II’ from the Museum of Witchcraft aditional chanting by Patricia Crowther and music by Neil Smith.
Cecil Williamson: founder of the Museum of Witchcraft, Boscastle, Cornwall – on the use of dolls in traditional west country ‘get-rid-of’ magic. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5bD9fyIszI&feature=related
