41. The Saveock Water Witch Pits

During the late 18th and early 19th century the Resurrection Men, or the Resurrectionists as they were called, were very active across the country. These ruthless gangs were stealing newly buried bodies to sell and it seems that their activities even made it as far as the rural graveyards of Cornwall.

A slightly different episode this time because I am chatting with the marvellous Keith Wallis, the presenter of the Piskie Trap Podcast, about some of our favourite ghost stories or at least the ones that are interesting us both at the time of recording! How do ghost stories connect to real episodes from history and why are there so many in Cornwall?

Long held beliefs in witchcraft held sway over people's lives in Cornwall for much longer than you might imagine. Even into the 20th century worried folk would consult wise men and women on everything from health issues to lost possessions, this episodes looks at some stories that revolve around the fear of being ill-wished.

In this episode we discover the incredible archaeological dig the tiny hamlet of Saveock Water near Chacewater that has revealed bizarre witchcraft/fertility rituals that have been taking place on that site for hundreds of years.

In my 40th episode I uncover the truth behind the secretive religious sect of Jericho Valley, the Brotherhood of the Essenes, who buried their 'King Dog' there in 1969.

Victorian Britain seems to have been a time particularly prone to unusual fads and crazes. One of these, pedestrianism, seems to have led to 'wheelbarrow mania' - that is lots of men pushing barrows for great distances. Meet the Cornishmen taking part (or trying to take part!) in these bonkers endurance walks across the country.

With so many saints in Cornwall to choose from why is St Piran our patron saint and why do we celebrate him on the 5th March each year?

Up until 1923 a granite cross stood beside the road between Mousehole and Paul. This episode looks into the story behind this monument, sketched by the artist Turner, dedicated to an elderly fishwife called Martha Blewett. Why was it erected in the 1790s? And what were the strange circumstances that led to its removal so many years later?

In 1947 John Edward Allen, the "Mad Parson", escaped from Broadmoor Psychiatric Hospital and went on the run. Discover how this convicted murderer ended up working as a waiter in a secluded Cornish hotel and how he then remained at large for almost two years . . .

As we head towards Halloween I explore two of my favourite ghost stories from Cornwall, one from Penzance, which is in many ways more of a murder mystery than a spooky tale, and one from Falmouth which is . . . well, just plain bizarre!