Boscastle is a bit of a mood. It’s this tiny, rugged fishing village tucked into a steep-sided valley on the North Cornish coast, and honestly, if you didn’t know it was there, you might drive right past the turnoff. But for people who hunt for the weird, the occult, or just the genuinely historical, the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic Boscastle is the only reason to make the trip. It’s not a tourist trap. It’s not some cheesy "haunted house" with plastic spiders and jump scares. Instead, it’s home to the largest collection of witchcraft-related artifacts in the world. It’s cramped. It’s slightly overwhelming. It smells faintly of old wood and beeswax. And it’s absolutely brilliant.
The museum has survived things that would have killed off any other independent institution. It survived a literal flood in 2004 that nearly swept the entire building into the Celtic Sea. It survived decades of local hostility when it first opened. It even survived its founder, Cecil Williamson, who was—to put it mildly—a bit of a character with a very complicated relationship with the famous occultist Aleister Crowley.
The weird history of Cecil Williamson
You can’t talk about the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic Boscastle without talking about Cecil. He was an screenwriter, an editor, and a man who claimed to have worked for MI6 during World War II, specifically tasked with looking into the Nazi obsession with the occult. Whether or not every story he told was 100% true is up for debate among historians, but the guy definitely knew his stuff.
He originally tried to open a museum in Stratford-upon-Avon, but the locals weren't having it. They weren't exactly thrilled about a "witchcraft" museum opening up in Shakespeare’s backyard. He eventually moved the whole operation to the Isle of Man, where he actually partnered with Gerald Gardner. If you know anything about modern paganism, you know Gardner is basically the father of Wicca.
The two of them didn't get along. At all.
Williamson was into the gritty, folklore-heavy, "darker" side of magic. He liked the talismans made of dried animal parts and the grim stories of village cursers. Gardner wanted something more religious, more structured, and frankly, more palatable. They split up. Williamson took his collection and eventually landed in Boscastle in 1960. He chose the "Harbour Office" building, and it’s been there ever since. He used to say that the museum was there to "show the world that these things exist," and he didn't care much if it made people uncomfortable.
What’s actually inside those cases?
Walking through the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic Boscastle feels like navigating someone’s very organized, very spooky attic. It’s dense. There are over 3,000 objects on display, and they range from the beautiful to the truly unsettling.
The Cursing Bones and Poppets
One of the first things you’ll notice is the sheer volume of "charms." We’re talking about things like the "Cursing Bone"—usually a small bone from a bird or pig, wrapped in wire or thread, used to direct ill will toward an enemy. It’s folk magic at its most basic and most human. You’ll also see poppets. These aren't "voodoo dolls" in the Hollywood sense; they are European folk magic tools. Some are made of wax, others of roots or fabric. They were used for healing just as often as they were used for harming. Seeing a 19th-century wax figure stuck with thorns really brings the reality of historical belief home in a way a textbook never could.
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The Joan Wytte "Fighting Fairy" Legend
For a long time, the museum’s most famous "resident" was the skeleton of Joan Wytte. Known as the Fighting Fairy of Bodmin Moor, she was a 18th-century woman who supposedly had a legendary temper and a penchant for clairvoyance. After she died in prison, her bones ended up in the museum. However, in the late 90s, the museum’s current ethos shifted toward more respect and ethical handling of human remains. After much deliberation, Joan was given a proper burial in the local woods in 1998. Today, her story is told through her empty coffin and a very moving memorial. It marks a turning point where the museum moved from being a "chamber of curiosities" to a serious place of historical record.
The Aleister Crowley Connection
Yes, the "Great Beast" has a presence here. You’ll find some of his personal belongings, including his ritual robes and some original publications. But the museum doesn't glamorize him. It treats him as just one part of a much wider, more complex tapestry of Western Esotericism.
Why it actually matters today
It’s easy to dismiss this stuff as superstition, but the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic Boscastle serves a massive role in social history. It documents the lives of people who were often on the fringes of society. The "wise woman" or the "cunning man" in a village was the person you went to when the doctor was too expensive or the priest was too judgmental.
The museum shows the tools of their trade:
- Herbalism: Dried plants and recipes that were the precursors to modern medicine.
- Protection: "Witch bottles" filled with pins, salt, and urine, buried under hearths to protect a house from evil spirits.
- Divination: Scrying stones, tarot decks, and even tea leaves.
Honestly, the most striking thing is how domestic a lot of it is. Magic wasn't always about chanting in a dark forest; it was often about trying to make sure your cows didn't get sick or that your husband came home safe from the sea. It’s a very human kind of history.
The 2004 Flood: A near disaster
In August 2004, a wall of water crashed through Boscastle. It was a freak weather event that destroyed homes and washed cars into the sea. The museum was right in the path. Peter Hewitt and the team at the time had to work tirelessly to salvage the collection.
Water and ancient paper don't mix.
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Neither do water and 100-year-old wax poppets.
The fact that the museum reopened just a year later is a testament to how much people care about this place. The occult community, historians, and locals all pitched in. Today, you can still see high-water marks in certain areas, a quiet reminder that the museum itself is a survivor.
Navigating the Museum: Real talk for visitors
If you’re planning to go, don't just rush through.
The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic Boscastle is small, but it is "thick." If you spend five minutes in each section, you’ll be there for three hours. The labels are hand-written or typed in a way that feels personal. Read them. They contain the stories that give the objects their power.
The shop is also legendary. It’s probably the only place on earth where you can buy high-quality academic books on the history of magic right next to locally made incense and "hag stones" found on Cornish beaches.
Wait, is it scary?
Not really. It’s atmospheric. If you have a phobia of taxidermy, you might find a few corners a bit twitchy—there are a lot of dried toads and crow wings. But the vibe is one of intense curiosity, not horror.
The modern role of the museum
Today, the museum is run as an independent business and a registered museum with the Arts Council England. It’s no longer seen as a "freak show." Scholars from places like the University of Exeter and the University of Bristol frequently use the archives for research into British folklore and the history of belief.
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It also acts as a hub for the modern pagan community. Every year, they host "The Dark Gathering," a festival of morris dancing (the "darker," more traditional kind), music, and folklore. It happens around Samhain (Halloween) and it is spectacular. The museum becomes the backdrop for a living, breathing tradition that many thought had died out centuries ago.
Things most people get wrong about Boscastle's Magic Museum
- It's not a Wiccan temple. While many Wiccans visit and respect the space, the museum is a historical institution. It covers everything from Satanism and Freemasonry to Christian folk magic and ancient Egyptian influences.
- It’s not just for "believers." You can be a hard-line skeptic and still find the craftsmanship of a 17th-century scrying glass fascinating. It’s about the history of ideas.
- It’s not "evil." This is the biggest misconception. The vast majority of the artifacts are about protection, healing, and understanding the world.
Actionable steps for your visit
If you’re actually going to go, do it right.
- Check the hours: They are seasonal. They usually close for the winter (November to March), so don't just show up in January expecting the doors to be open.
- Stay in Boscastle: Don't just drive in and out. Stay at The Wellington Hotel or a local B&B. Walking the harbor at night after visiting the museum gives you a completely different perspective on the landscape.
- Walk to St. Nectan’s Glen: It’s a short drive or a long walk away. It’s a waterfall and a site often associated with the same folk-magic traditions you’ll see in the museum. It rounds out the experience perfectly.
- Respect the space: Photography is usually allowed, but be mindful. Some items are there as part of a living tradition.
The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic Boscastle is one of the few places left that feels truly authentic. It hasn't been "sanitized" for a corporate audience. It’s weird, it’s wonderful, and it’s a vital piece of the UK's hidden history.
Go with an open mind. You’ll probably leave with more questions than answers, which is exactly how Cecil Williamson would have wanted it.
Practical Details for the Modern Traveler
Location: The Harbour, Boscastle, Cornwall, PL35 0HD.
Parking: Use the main village car park. It’s a 5-minute flat walk to the museum. Do not try to drive your car down to the harbor unless you want to get stuck in a very narrow, very stressful situation.
Accessibility: The museum is an old building with multiple levels and narrow stairs. While the ground floor is accessible, the upper floors are unfortunately difficult for those with significant mobility issues.
Basically, just go. There’s nowhere else like it.