Showing posts with label museum of witchcraft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label museum of witchcraft. Show all posts

Friday, August 8, 2014

Witches and gnomes in Devon

The fella and I had a bit of holiday time this summer, so we decided to live it up in Devon for two days. Most people might consider the beach (we did, it was lovely), or a relaxing drink in local taverns (did that too). But, we also sought to find the most entertaining offerings of the area. A quick trawl through the internets revealed a plethora of enticing sites: the Barometer Museum (by appointment only, would need to be organised); Big Sheep; and a quarry complex named after one of humankind's finest inventions, Beer.

In the end, I wanted to check out the Museum of Witchcraft, as there could be some links to my study. The PhD radar never sleeps, and I knew I would find it interesting. Off we popped to gobsmackingly-scenic Boscastle. There was a display of Aleister Crowley (PhD tick) and then weird and wonderful collections that I was flabbergasted by. 
Everyone loves a spoon - Uri Geller
I understand that witchcraft appeals to many but incites fear in others - the museum makes a serious effort to warn visitors and to promote respect for the reception and interpretation of witchcraft. I was surprised with the diversity of objects on display, from the esoteric, to the macabre, and there were far more human remains than I envisioned (which poses some ethical questions in itself).

Click below for more photos.