Lancaster features in new Jonathan Ross TV show

Tuesday, 14 March 2023 15:35

The trial of the Pendle Witches at Lancaster Castle has featured in a new TV show hosted by Jonathan Ross.

In this brand-new show, ‘Myths and Legends’, Jonathan Ross travels the UK on the hunt for incredible tales as old as time. Mythical mysteries and local legends have existed across the British Isles for centuries. While many have been lost and forgotten, he leads an adventure to uncover these fantastic fables.

In the first episode, Jonathan takes his journey to Lancaster, once known as 'the hanging town', where he learned about the persecution of supposed witches, and ventured into the castle dungeon where a family accused of being witches were held captive in appalling conditions.

During the episode, which was filmed last July, he was shown round Lancaster Castle by Lancashire historian, Simon Entwistle, who described the squalid conditions that prisoners would have been kept in, finding out more about the Pendle Witch Trials of 1612.

Later in the episode, Jonathan met Kelly from The Silver Spoons Collective, to find out even more, before ending with a trip to the Ashton Memorial at Williamson Park, or ‘Gallows Hill’ as it was known as in the 17^th century, the spot where a number of the accused met their death.

Jonathan Ross' Myths and Legends airs Mondays, 9pm on More4, and you catch the first episode here

‘’I’ve always been fascinated by these fabulous fairy tales, magical mysteries and mysterious legends,’’ says Jonathan on the programme.

‘’So I’m discovering their weird and wonderful truths.

‘’What I’ve got out if this is looking back and confronting the hurt of the past, and the trauma that grew out of mythology and the mistrust of people who were different.

‘’We can use the confrontation of witchcraft as a way of connecting with the here and now and healing, and that’s a rather wonderful thing.’’