The Witches Curator Tour

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, various times

From the witchcraft craze of the early seventeenth century to the sensationalist broadsheets of the early 1800s, many Yorkshire women have been labelled witches. Some were imprisoned at York Castle, put on trial, and even executed. But did people really believe they had supernatural powers?  

This tour will explore the stories of some of those women, including Jennet Preston who was the only person from the famous Lancashire Witches of 1612 to be tried at York, and Mary Bateman, a spiritualist and convicted thief who was executed for murder in 1809, and who the public termed the Yorkshire Witch. We will look past the sensationalist headlines to ask who these women really were, and what led them to York Castle.  

This tour is for older teens and adults, and is not suitable for children. It will last one hour, and takes place partly outside. Please dress for the weather.