Pendle Hill: England’s Most Cursed Moor of Witches and Ghosts

Pendle Hill is a remote moorland ridge in Lancashire, England. The area is known for reports of ghostly sightings and sinister spirits, believed to be the restless souls of those executed there. It is most famous as the center of seventeenth-century witchcraft hysteria.

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Key Takeaways

Attribute	Details
Name	Pendle Hill; Penhul
Location	Pendle District, Lancashire, BB9 6LQ, United Kingdom
Longland Scale	L-5 [See the Longland Scale Explanation]
History	The site was the focus of the 1612 witch trials and Bronze Age burials.
Death Toll	10 judicial executions + 1 death in custody (1612); multiple modern suicides.
Type of Haunting	Intelligent, Residual, Shadow People, Apparitions
Lunar / Seasonal Pattern	Reports of activity increase by 70% during the Halloween season and New Moon phases.
Entities	Elizabeth Southerns (Demdike), Anne Whittle (Chattox), Alice Nutter, The Lost Shepherd.
Manifestations	Shadowy figures, mysterious whispers, physical strangulation, sudden mist, floating lights.
First reported sighting	August 1612 (Reports of spirits following the executions).
Recent activity	November 2025: Investigators recorded a full-bodied shadow entity and vocal responses.
Threat Level	7/10 (dangerous) [See the Threat Level Explanation]
Hoax Confidence Rating	3/10 (Probably authentic) [See the Hoax Confidence Rating Explanation]
Open to the public?	Yes; accessible via public footpaths from the villages of Barley and Newchurch.

What Is the Pendle Hill Haunting?

The haunting at Pendle Hill is described as both Intelligent and Residual, with repeated ghostly impressions and spirits that seem to interact with people. These events are closely tied to 1612, when twelve local people were accused of practicing “magick” and “diabolism.”

Witnesses most often report seeing Elizabeth Southerns, known as “Old Demdike,” and her rival, Anne Whittle, known as “Old Chattox.” The ghost of Alice Nutter, who was of a higher social status than the others accused, is also often mentioned.

People have reported seeing Shadow People near the summit and around the ruins of “Malkin Tower.” They also describe hearing rhythmic chanting and the sounds of ghostly animals.

Pendle Hill Haunted History

The story of Pendle Hill’s haunting goes back to the early seventeenth century, a time of religious unrest and growing interest in the occult. The 1612 witch trials, recorded in the 1613 book “The Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of Lancaster” by Thomas Potts, gave the hill its dark reputation. These trials were the result of a long feud between two poor families, the Demdikes and the Chattoxes, who lived near the hill.

The story began on March 21, 1612, when Alizon Device met a pedlar named John Law on the road to Trawden Forest. Law refused to sell her pins, and soon after, he suffered a serious stroke. At the time, people saw this as a sign of a curse.

When questioned by Magistrate Roger Nowell, Alizon confessed to making a deal with the devil, who appeared as a black dog. Her confession led to the arrest of several local people, including Elizabeth Southerns (“Old Demdike”) and Anne Whittle (“Old Chattox”).

The history of Pendle Hill is further bloodied by the conditions of the imprisonment. The accused were held in the “Well Tower” (often called the “Witches’ Tower”) at Lancaster Castle. Elizabeth Southerns, aged approximately eighty, died in the “dark and damp” dungeons before she could stand trial.

On August 20, 1612, ten of the remaining accused, including eight women and two men, were hanged at “Gallows Hill.” Among them were Alice Nutter, a wealthy woman whose role is still a mystery, and Elizabeth Device, who was condemned by the testimony of her own nine-year-old daughter, Jennet.

After the 1612 trials, Pendle Hill continued to be the scene of many tragedies and odd accidents. The summit, which rises to 557 meters, has a Bronze Age burial mound, showing that the hill has been used for rituals and burials for thousands of years.

In more modern history, the hill’s treacherous weather and steep terrain have claimed lives through bizarre circumstances. In October 1950, a young man was killed and two others severely injured when a leftover military bomb from World War II training exercises exploded on the hill.

The hill has also been the site of multiple fatal aviation accidents. In February 1944, a P-47D Thunderbolt piloted by Second Lieutenant Frederick J. Selsi crashed into the mist-shrouded slopes, killing the pilot instantly. Decades later, in December 2013, a paraglider pilot died after his wing collapsed in “unexplained gusty conditions” near the summit.

These events, along with records of suicides on the moor and the sixteenth-century desecration of graves at “St Mary’s Church” in Newchurch, where Chattox was said to have stolen human teeth and skulls for “charms,” have led many to believe the land itself is unfriendly.

Pendle Hill Ghost Sightings

Since the 1970s, more than 50 reports of paranormal activity have been recorded at Pendle Hill. Still, stories of sightings go back to just after the 1612 executions.

Date	Location	Description of Event
August 1612	Gallows Hill	Witnesses reported seeing “dark vapors” and “heavy shadows” rising from the bodies of the executed.
April 1652	Pendle Summit	George Fox, founder of the Quakers, reported a divine vision of a “great people to be gathered” and felt a profound spiritual presence.
October 1973	Pendle Summit	A hiker reported being followed by a “limping hag” in a dark shawl that vanished into the mist when approached.
March 1982	Newchurch Churchyard	Local residents reported rhythmic, strange chanting emanating from the area of the “Eye of God” tombstone.
February 1991	Barley Lane	A driver reported a “near-collision” with a woman in 17th-century clothing who disappeared before impact.
October 2004	Lower Well Head Farm	A television medium reported being strangled by an unseen force; crew members documented scratches appearing on their skin.
August 2011	Lower Black Moss	Engineers discovered a “ritual cottage” with a mummified cat; workers reported feeling watched and equipment failures.
May 2019	Malkin Tower Ruins	A physical human tooth, aged to the 17th century, manifested on a table during a controlled Ouija experiment.
October 2022	Pendle Hill Slopes	An investigation team recorded multiple EVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomena) of a female voice whispering “Get out” in a local dialect.
November 2025	Newchurch Village	A high-definition video captured a three-dimensional shadow entity moving through stone walls near the village center.

The Vision of the “Limping Hag” (1973)

One of the most common ghost sightings on the hill is of a “limping hag.” In October 1973, a lone hiker coming down from the summit saw a creature about 20 yards ahead. The entity looked like a woman in a torn, dark shawl, walking with a noticeable limp.

When the hiker called out to help, the woman turned a little, showing a face hidden in shadow, and then stepped into some fog. When the hiker got to the spot just seconds later, the woman had completely disappeared, even though the area was open. This matches old descriptions of Elizabeth Southerns (Demdike), who was blind and weak in her last years.

The Strangling Incident at Well Head (2004)

During a well-known investigation for the show “Most Haunted,” the team visited Lower Well Head Farm, a place with historical ties to the Chattox family. The lead investigator, Derek Acorah, said he was physically attacked by a hostile spirit.

Cameras showed him gasping and grabbing his throat, and later he had clear red marks that looked like he had been strangled. Other crew members said they felt “unbearable anger” and a heavy feeling in the air, which caused some people to run out of the building in panic.

The Manifestation of the Ritual Tooth (2019)

During a rare case of physical mediumship, a paranormal group holding a vigil at the supposed site of Malkin Tower reported that an object appeared out of nowhere. As they sat around a wooden table in complete darkness, they heard a sharp “clack.”

When they turned on their flashlights, they found a human tooth in the middle of the table. Later tests showed the tooth was from an adult and was several hundred years old. None of the group members were missing teeth, and the area had been cleaned before the vigil, so investigators called it an “Intelligent Manifestation.”

The Newchurch Shadow Entity (2025)

The latest major report came in late 2025 from the village of Newchurch-in-Pendle. A local resident using a sensitive security camera recorded a “column of darkness” about six feet tall.

The entity did not cast a shadow and moved against the wind. It seemed to start near the “Witches’ Grave” at St. Mary’s Church and headed toward the old “Witches’ Cottage.” Experts have reviewed the footage and ruled out insects, lens flares, or smoke as possible explanations.

The Pendle Hill Case File

The Mystery of the Missing Malkin Tower

One major debate in the Pendle Hill story is where “Malkin Tower” actually stood. Several ruins are said to be the site of the 1612 meeting, but there is no clear proof.

In 2011, water engineers found a seventeenth-century cottage buried in the hillside, with a mummified cat sealed in the walls, which was a common charm against witchcraft. This find sparked new arguments about whether the haunting is tied to one building or the whole hill.

The Phenomenon of Floating Lights

For many years, people have seen “dancing lights” or “will-o’-the-wisps” on the slopes of the hill. These lights look like fast-moving, glowing orbs that don’t move like lanterns or drones. Some skeptics think they are “earth lights” caused by stress in the ground, but witnesses say the lights seem to react to people and sometimes lead hikers off safe paths into dangerous bogs.

The Children of the Moor

Beyond the witch trials, investigators frequently report contact with the spirits of children. These entities are described as “lost” and “cold.” Historical records indicate several cases of children perishing in the harsh moorland weather, including a noted incident in the 1700s involving a young shepherd. These reports often involve the sound of crying that ceases the moment a searcher reaches the suspected source.

Theories

The ongoing reports of strange events at Pendle Hill, especially around Newchurch-in-Pendle and the ruins of Malkin Tower, have led to many theories. These ideas include geophysical, psychological, and spiritual explanations, all of which aim to explain why this area is such a hotspot for the “supernatural.”

The Theory of Stone Tape Recording

One of the main theories about Pendle Hill is the “Stone Tape” or “Residual Haunting” idea. It suggests that minerals in the hill, especially Carboniferous limestone and gritstone, can store strong emotional energy.

Proponents argue that the extreme trauma, fear, and “death-anguish” experienced by the accused during the 1612 trials was “recorded” into the environment. These recordings are believed to “replay” when specific atmospheric conditions, such as high humidity or electrical storms, occur.

This would explain why sightings of the “Limping Hag” or “Alice Nutter” often follow the same repetitive paths and do not appear to interact with modern observers.

The Geophysical Stress and Tectonic Strain Theory

This scientific theory looks at the geology of the Pendle area. The hill sits near several small fault lines. Some believe that pressure from these faults creates piezoelectricity, or electric charges, in quartz and other crystals in the rocks. This can generate local electromagnetic fields (EMF), which are known to affect the human brain.

Exposure to these fields can induce “sensed presence” hallucinations, feelings of being watched, and even physical symptoms like nausea or “skin-crawling.”

The concentration of activity at Newchurch and Malkin Tower may be due to the specific density of quartz-rich gritstone in those localized outcrops, creating “EMF hotspots” that mimic a haunting.

The Liminal Space and “Thin Place” Hypothesis

In Celtic and local stories, some places are called “thin places,” where the line between the physical world and the spirit world is weaker. Newchurch and Malkin Tower are thought to be “liminal spaces,” or gateways, opened by years of rituals. Some researchers believe the 1612 “Witches’ Sabbath” at Malkin Tower was a key event that may have further thinned this barrier.

The presence of Bronze Age burial mounds on the hill further supports the idea that the area has been recognized as a portal for the dead for over 3,000 years, explaining why entities are often seen emerging from or disappearing into the ground near these sites.

The Contagion of Belief and Collective Priming

Some psychologists think the haunting is a “sociogenic” event, meaning it comes from social and cultural influences. The Pendle witch story is a big part of local identity and is featured in museums, shops, and schools. This constant exposure creates “Collective Priming,” so visitors come to Malkin Tower or St. Mary’s Church already on edge.

When people are in this heightened state, their brains can mistake normal things—like a change in the wind, a sudden cold spot, or a stray animal—for signs of the Demdike or Chattox spirits. This theory explains why most sightings happen in the places most closely linked to the legend, where people expect to see something.

The Necro-Geographical Anchor Theory

This theory says that spirits are “anchored” to places where they had important life events or where their remains, or symbols of their death, are found.

Newchurch has the “Eye of God” tombstone, and old records say the Chattox family dug up graves there to get human remains for their “charms.” Malkin Tower is where the supposed plot that led to their executions took place.

Supporters of this idea believe the spirits are not haunting the whole hill, but are tied to these specific “anchors” from their past, which is why there is little activity in the newer villages nearby.

The Infrasound Hypothesis

Studies of Pendle Hill’s shape show that wind blowing over the curves near Malkin Tower can create “infrasound,” which are sound waves too low for people to hear (usually below 20 Hz).

Research has found that infrasound can make the human eye vibrate, which can cause people to see shadows out of the corner of their eye. It can also trigger the “fight or flight” response, making people feel sudden fear or chills.

Since the wind is most steady near the higher parts of the tower ruins and the open churchyard at Newchurch, this theory offers a physical reason for why so many reports come from these spots.

Pendle Hill vs Other Haunted Locations

Name	Location	Type of Haunting	Activity Level
Lancaster Castle	Lancashire, UK	Intelligent	9 (very active)
Ballygally Castle	Larne, Northern Ireland	Apparitions	6 (occasional)
Ancient Ram Inn	Gloucestershire, UK	Demonic	10 (extremely active)
Skirrid Mountain Inn	Monmouthshire, Wales	Poltergeist	8 (very active)
The Cage	Essex, UK	Shadow People	7 (very active)
Chillingham Castle	Northumberland, UK	Ghosts (General)	8 (very active)
Berry Pomeroy	Devon, UK	Apparitions	5 (occasional)
Borley Rectory	Essex, UK	Residual	3 (dormant)
Pluckley Village	Kent, UK	Multiple Entities	7 (very active)
Edinburgh Vaults	Edinburgh, Scotland	Intelligent	9 (very active)

Is Pendle Hill Haunting Real?

The question of whether Pendle Hill is truly haunted is still debated by scientists and paranormal researchers. The 1612 witch trials are a real part of history. Still, many of the reported ghostly events could be explained by environment factors or people’s expectations.

Still, the large number of similar reports spanning many generations, along with physical evidence collected by modern investigators, keeps Pendle Hill among the top places for paranormal research in Europe.