GC3AYD5 Witch 400 – Demdike and the Devil - Faughs Quarry (Traditional Cache) in North West England, United Kingdom created by belbincolne

This cache has been archived.

belbincolne: At the request of the landowner I'm archiving this cache which, in any case, has run its course.

GC3AYD5 ▼

A cache by belbincolne Message this owner

Hidden : 1/15/2012

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: small (small)

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Geocache Description:

Witch 400 – Demdike meets the Devil - Faughs Qy, Newchurch

2012 is the 400th anniversary of the execution of the Pendle Witches so I thought it appropriate to place a series of caches as close as possible to the places with which they are associated. You would need to be a very hard walker (and driver) to do them all in one trip! Many can be done as near drive-bys but you will need to study the footpaths on the South Pennines map OL21 very carefully.

The full facts are related over thousands of pages in a dozen books so you’ll appreciate that what appears here is incredibly abbreviated. Possibly witches were basically the herbal practioners, midwives and abortionists of their day who found it convenient to cast spells and claim results to enhance their reputation. We know little about most witches but the Pendle ones have become particularly famous because the clerk to the court wrote a book factually setting out the details of the case. A tiny bit of potted history is put in for each cache. On occasion it is not entirely reverent I’m afraid!

The witches (and their victims) all seem to have lived on farms most of which remain although in nothing like the form they were in 1612. Mostly they have changed out of all recognition and none have been kept as a tourist haven such as, say, the Bronte Parsonage. What little I know is recorded here.

By today’s standards the trial was a farce. Uncorroborated evidence from a child of 9 and a boy of weak intellect was accepted but the witches were their own worst enemy condemning themselves and the others with abandon so it is hardly surprising that they were found guilty in the climate of that particular time in history. For more details I can recommend the website (visit link)

Elizabeth Southern (Demdike) admitted that she had first met the devil who told her his name was Tib here. A careful search (column rear right) will show you what he looked like – o/k it’s an Indian’s head carved over 200 years later but she was a witch so must have influenced the artist, mustn’t she?

For this and the other three nearby caches you are best parking in Newchurch by St Mary’s Church with its “Eye of God” and “witches grave” (despite the name it isn’t). However Chattox did steal bones from the graveyard. Take the right fork for this cache and continue on the road for Demdike – Saddlers Farm.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

va ebpx ubyr haqre fgbar

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)