Parish Church of St Mary, Newchurch-in-Pendle

 

This one is a special one, probably the only site in Pendle/Barley that we visited that has a direct connection to the Pendle Witches following their trials. We say this because the Nutter family, those related to Alice Nutter of Pendle Witch fame, are buried within this graveyard.

The church started out as a chapel of ease all the way back in 1250 and was replaced at some point before 1544 which is when Right Reverend John Bird, Bishop of Chester dedicated it to St Mary. At some point following this a tower was added to the new church and it was restored first in 1653 then again in 1712.

Otherwise we can't find out much else about this church which is unfortunate as it was in the heart of the trials with the Nutters, the Demdikes, and all the others who stood accused. Their families are buried within the grounds, these walls bared witness to the horrific events. This is a proper witch related site, those women may have even attended services here before they were accused. It sits at the site of the road though, solemn and quiet, but if you're interested in Pendle's history then this is a site to visit for sure!

Just remember to be very respectful, this is still an active church plus the village's dead rest here. The site may feel haunted, it probably is, but that is no reason to be rude.

We'd love to go back and explore further, but as we mentioned before Pendle felt a little off to us, so it may be a while before we can face it again!

Haunted: 8/10

Worth the visit: 8/10

Giftshop: n/a

Ghost count: 0

Dog friendly: n/a

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