For your festive nights, enjoy this gathering of tales!The Frozen Hearth Fairy (From the Old-Fashioned Fairy Book Constance Cary Harrison, 1843 - 1920Extracts from Christmas and Christmas lore by Thomas G. Crippen, published in 1923The Story of the Year by Hans Christian Anderson, 1805 - 1875And I close with the poem Under the Holly Bough by Charles Mackay, published in 1857Thank you for joining me through 2025. Here's to a merry and magical winter and bright 2026! Sarah xxx
Welcome, friends, to the November episode of Witch Country. As the nights draw in and the air grows sharp with autumn’s edge, I’ve been walking among the Rollright Stones — a circle steeped in story. Kings turned to stone, witches weaving fate, and whispers carried on the wind linger here. In this episode, I share my own walk among the stones, along with the folklore, legends, and uncanny tales that have gathered around them for centuries. And to close, a delectable and chilling treat: the tale of the Stone King, another version of the Rollright story, read by the incomparable Vincent Price from the 1973 archive A Coven of Witches’ Tales.
Witch Country Arrives!!This October, Witch Country the podcast and Witch Country the book finally meet! In this episode I read a large section from the October chapter. (I do say in the recording that it’s the full chapter—but in the end I trimmed it slightly for brevity, and to whet your appetite for more!)Thank you so much to everyone who has supported this journey so far. And fear not—the path of Witch Country is far from over!Sarah xxxAs of Halloween, you can buy Witch Country in paperback from all the usual online booksellers, direct from Womancraft Publishing and Red Wheel (our US distributors) or ask your local indie to order in! It's also available in ebook and audiobook form!
As autumn descends, I wanted to face a classic symbol in British and European folklore - the black dogWe start in East Anglia, England, with perhaps the most famous of all shadow hounds: Black Shuck, who makes an appearance in St Mary's church of Bungay in 1577, storms to raise havoc. And a reading drawn from Ghosts and Witches by Wentworth + Ayrton, 1991, on the Galleytrot and Shuck.Before facing:The Barghest of Yorkshire, accompanied by rattling chains, may have inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula's transformation into an enormous black dog in Whitby.Yeth Hounds (Devon)Whisht Hounds (Devon/Dartmoor)Richard Cabell's Hounds (Dartmoor) widely considered a major inspiration for Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles.The Devil's Dandy Dogs (Cornwall): A terrifying hunt led by Satan himself.The Wish Hounds or Witch Hounds of SussexThe Church Grim, a guardian spirit that appears as a large black dogAnd The Moddey Dhoo of the Isle of Man: Meaning "black dog" in Manx, this giant shaggy-haired dog that haunted Peel Castle And we finish with readings of The Moddey Doo or the Black Dog of Peel Castle from Manx Fairy Tales by Sophia Morrison, 1911 and The Book of Were-Wolves by Sabine Baring-Gould, 1865. And accounts of witch wolves from Estonia.These are just a few of the countless legends of black dogs, wolves and hounds. Do drop me a message if you would like to share your own favourites! Happy SeptemberSarah X
With thanks to Mark from Dorset for inspiring much of this episode! Featuring ideas, stories and poems from Gemma Gary, Enid Blyton, Olive Knott and Walter del la MareSarah XXX
A very exciting episode with news and songs and delights!As mentioned in the episode, find me on Instagram @thisiswitchcountryPatreon - www.patreon.com/witchcountryAnd don’t forget to head over to WomancraftPublishing.com on July 9th! Sarah xxx
Wishing you all a very Marvellous May! Mentioned in the podcast:Witch Country Ghost StoriesKitchen Witch audiobookxxx
Join me as I wade though water, myth and marshy lands in the New Forest!XXX
For 2025, Our podcast journey starts with a wander to Avebury. My friend and I took a walk amongst these stones last year, about this time, as the equinox sun shone. Links Mentioned: Find me on Instagram Join the chats on Patreon Kitchen Witch Audiobook Thank you for joining me this month for Magic and Myth! See you next month for more Witch Country Wanders! XXX
I am thrilled to present, in what I plan to be a festive tradition for Witch Country: A Ghost Story for Christmas! Since the days of Charles Dickens and a Christmas Carol (1843), and, I'm sure, long before, we have huddled around fires to tell tales of spirits and ghosts during the cold yuletide nights. So here is a tale where witches raise storms and become ghosts themselves, seeking a little retribution, perhaps.Merry Christmas One and All! Xx
Enjoy some Folk Fun and Food drawn from my fourth Book; Kitchen Witch: Food, Folklore & Fairy Tale! and Kitchen Witch Companion: Recipes, Rituals & ReflectionsWishing you all many happy hallowed evenings this October!Join me for Tales from the Wildwood live Zoom event on October 30th, 6pm (GMT) Eventbrite Link
A short and sweet podcast episode for September! If you are seeking more tales of forest folklore and witchy woods, Do pick up a copy of the Witch and the WildwoodJoin me for Tales from the Wildwood live Zoom event on October 30th, 6pm (GMT) Eventbrite Link
A wonderful wander with stones, witches and wizards!
In June, I journeyed along the Fife Witches Trail to stand at the stone we call Lilias Adies’ grave and to pay my respects to the accused witches of Scotland at Dunferlimne Abbey.
A wander on a sunny day to Tinkinswood Burial Chamber, also known as the Witches Castle!
Our three Gathered Tales were:Goblin Combe: You’ll find many versions of this story, including the one in Folktales of England, by Katharine Briggs and Ruth Tongue, 1965The Brecon Elves & the Wise Housewife: A Variation of a story that can be found in Folk tales of Wales by Eirwen Jones, 1978The Fairy of the Dell: A short and sweet version of a tale told in Welsh Fairy Tales By William Elliot Griffis, 1921Thank you to all who have supported me on Patreon this month - do check it out. There are free resources and bonus goodies each month!
Today, I have a collection of tales! I start the podcast with some snippets from my upcoming book, The Witch and the Wildwood. Then, I head out on a journey to Arundel, Sussex, to indulge in Wassail and a walk around in muddy fields looking for Witch Hares!