Call to build museum for Pendle Witches tale

2:55pm Thursday 10th May 2012 in Pendle Photograph of the Author By Chris Gee, Reporter

PROPOSED SITE Barley car park PROPOSED SITE Barley car park

CALLS have been made to create a museum featuring the Pendle Witches story as the area attracts more visitors in the lead-up to the 400th anniversary of the trials.

Tour guide, storyteller and expert Simon Entwistle believes the focal point of a museum would leave a legacy after the wide-ranging commemoration of 1612 has finished.

Simon, who lives in Clitheroe, said: “What I feel is what the Pendle witch story needs is a purpose built state-of-the-art museum on the Barley car park.

“This would create jobs and offer visitors an insight to what life was like in 1612.

“I think it would be beneficial to the area for the museum to have a permanent exhibition and also employ guides to take mini-bus tours in to the all those areas associated with the story.”

Mr Entwistle said that at the moment the prospect was just an idea and faced many obstacles.

“Obviously this project would cost a lot of money and right now councils have had to tighten their belts,” he said.

“But I’m sure they could work in conjunction with a private company. I have chatted to many councillors on both sides of Pendle Hill and everyone agreed that if the location was in the USA then ideas like this would have become a reality many years ago.”

Among many events taking place in the coming months are plans to temporarily spray 1612 in 1,400ft x 500ft numerals on the side of Pendle Hill.

The five-mile Pendle Witch Walk on August 18 is attempting to break a world record for the biggest ever gathering of ‘witches’.

Brian Cookson, Pendle Council’s executive director for regeneration said: “We’re always keen to look at new ideas which will promote tourism. But this is a time of severe budget constraints and we have no resources available at the moment either to develop or manage another facility. If there was a private proposal to run one then we’d look at this in a positive way.

"We’ve invested in the Pendle Witches theme for many years, with award winning initiatives like the Pendle Witches Trail.

"We’re now developing a new Pendle Sculpture Trail near Barley which opens this summer and have a Pendle Witches Festival underway.”

Comments (7)

3:26pm Thu 10 May 12

Noiticer says...

Would have thought Pendle Heritage Centre the right and proper place for this.
Would have thought Pendle Heritage Centre the right and proper place for this. Noiticer

3:44pm Thu 10 May 12

hasslem hasslem says...

Noiticer wrote:
Would have thought Pendle Heritage Centre the right and proper place for this.
agreed - entwistle is a prat.
.
there is already something akin to a small museum in PHC in barrowford with detailed interpretation of what happened way back when.
.
equally, i am amazed there is nothing about the quaker movement around pendle. significant numbers of americans visit the area in reference to the quakers - but there is nothing.
[quote][p][bold]Noiticer[/bold] wrote: Would have thought Pendle Heritage Centre the right and proper place for this.[/p][/quote]agreed - entwistle is a prat. . there is already something akin to a small museum in PHC in barrowford with detailed interpretation of what happened way back when. . equally, i am amazed there is nothing about the quaker movement around pendle. significant numbers of americans visit the area in reference to the quakers - but there is nothing. hasslem hasslem

4:39pm Thu 10 May 12

Izanears says...

I agree with the two previous posts. It sounds like another job for the boys to me.
equally, i am amazed there is nothing about the quaker movement around pendle. significant numbers of americans visit the area in reference to the quakers - but there is nothing.
DID YOU KNOW THERE IS A PENDLE HILL NEAR SWARTHMORE IN PENNSYLVANIA?
I agree with the two previous posts. It sounds like another job for the boys to me. equally, i am amazed there is nothing about the quaker movement around pendle. significant numbers of americans visit the area in reference to the quakers - but there is nothing. DID YOU KNOW THERE IS A PENDLE HILL NEAR SWARTHMORE IN PENNSYLVANIA? Izanears

4:53pm Thu 10 May 12

burnleyvoter says...

The problem with the witches museum being at Barrowford Heritage Centre is that it's not near enough to the hill itself - Barley would have been a better site for it.
A bus service from Manchester to Barley (perhaps via Barrowford) would be a good alternative idea though, to tap into Manchester tourism, even if it only ran one day a week.
The problem with the witches museum being at Barrowford Heritage Centre is that it's not near enough to the hill itself - Barley would have been a better site for it. A bus service from Manchester to Barley (perhaps via Barrowford) would be a good alternative idea though, to tap into Manchester tourism, even if it only ran one day a week. burnleyvoter

5:54pm Thu 10 May 12

atlantean says...

The residents of Barley wouldn't thank you for more visitors. There is the Bay Horse at Roughlee which has been empty for over a year and would be ideal.
The residents of Barley wouldn't thank you for more visitors. There is the Bay Horse at Roughlee which has been empty for over a year and would be ideal. atlantean

9:05pm Thu 10 May 12

mavrick says...

This just shows how blinkered the authorities have been in the past, They all talk about bringing tourism into the area. They don't even realise how much is at their finger tips. Ametuers me thinks. Anyone doing some proper research and putting a plan together for the area would include transport tours/links. Maybe a few history classes with actors playing the parts etc.
It just needs a little thought and great determination.
This just shows how blinkered the authorities have been in the past, They all talk about bringing tourism into the area. They don't even realise how much is at their finger tips. Ametuers me thinks. Anyone doing some proper research and putting a plan together for the area would include transport tours/links. Maybe a few history classes with actors playing the parts etc. It just needs a little thought and great determination. mavrick

9:44am Mon 14 May 12

FatGoatWalks says...

A museum would be great, but to put it on the Barley car park would be bad as this would mean less visitors to the area as they would not be able to park. Barley isn't the biggest village in the world, at Halloween (for example) when everyone seems to want to walk Pendle Hill the existing car park is packed by 9:00 a.m. Take away the parking area and residents are going to be pretty much trapped in and resentful towards visitors congesting their lovely little village.
A museum would be great, but to put it on the Barley car park would be bad as this would mean less visitors to the area as they would not be able to park. Barley isn't the biggest village in the world, at Halloween (for example) when everyone seems to want to walk Pendle Hill the existing car park is packed by 9:00 a.m. Take away the parking area and residents are going to be pretty much trapped in and resentful towards visitors congesting their lovely little village. FatGoatWalks

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