Shropshire Star

Oswestry history group to host talk on witchcraft

Brian Hoggard, researcher and author, will give a talk on Within Walls: The Archaeology of Magical House Protection during group’s next meeting.

Published

Oswestry & Border History & Archaeology Group will welcome the researcher and author when it begins its autumn programme.

First meeting takes place on September 13, at 7.30pm, in the Methodist Church Hall, Castle Street.

Mr Hoggard will look at the evidence for witchcraft beliefs, which has been discovered in the fabric of buildings throughout Britain and far beyond.

Objects such as witch bottles, dried cats, horse skulls, written charms and markings, which have been carved onto surfaces, are all testimony to beliefs that were once commonplace.

Mr Hoggard is also Brian is a much sought after speaker, the author of numerous magazine articles and has been involved in a number of documentaries about the history of magic. His latest book is Magical House Protection: The Archaeology of Counter-Witchcraft.

Other talks include in the group’s autumn programme continue with a talk by Judith Everard, contributing editor VCH Shropshire, on The Victoria County History in North Shropshire: Shrewsbury, Wem and Beyond, October 11, and Martin Hackett, historian and author, on Lost Battlefields of Marches, November 8 and Margaret Dunn, author and secretary of Discovering Old Welsh Houses giving a talk on the Houses of North East Wales. Her talk will be on December 13.

New members and visitors are very welcome.

Full details of Oswestry & Border History & Archaeology Group’s lectures are available at Oswestry Library and on the group’s website at http://obhag.org.uk or by phoning the secretary on 01691 661793 or via hanes@obhag.org.uk.

For membership details contact the Membership Secretary by email on aswire39@gmail.com.