The Shropshire Witches Podcast
Join Alix Chidley-Uttley & Amy Boucher for a history podcast uncovering the hidden, the haunted, the half-forgotten, and the famous - with a side of murder, mystery, folklore, and a dash of dark humour.
- Update frequency
- every 11 days
- Average duration
- 67 minutes
- Episodes
- 27
- Years Active
- 2024 - 2025
Bedtime Folklore ... The Devil’s Chair, a Shropshire Folklore Legend ... narrated by Alix Chidley-Uttley
The Devil’s Chair is one of Shropshire’s most enduring legends, a stone seat shrouded in mystery and superstition. Local folklore warns of anyone who dares to sit upon it after dark risks more than a…
Beasts and Beliefs, Matt Lewis on Medieval Monsters.
This episode welcomes historian and broadcaster Matt Lewis to explore how the Middle Ages imagined monsters. From dragons and demons to mysterious beasts said to haunt the edge of the known world, we…
The Woman in Black ... Chapter 1.
In this bonus content Alix Chidley-Uttley reads chapter one of that most spooky tale, The Woman in Black.
Laid to Rest: Funeral Rites and Final Journeys.
What do our funerals say about us? In this episode of The Shropshire Witches, we explore the rituals, superstitions, and customs that surround death from the practical to the profound. We look at how…
Laid to Rest: Folk Rites and Forgotten Funerals.
This week, we delve into the forgotten rituals and quiet superstitions surrounding death in Britain.
Murder Most Victorian: Death, Scandal and the Birth of a National Obsession
In this episode of Shropshire Witches, we descend into the shadowy world of Victorian murder. Why were the Victorians so fascinated with death? From lurid newspaper headlines to penny dreadfuls and c…
The Myth of Sex Appeal: A History of Hotness.
What was considered attractive in the past? The answer is rarely what we’d expect.
In this episode of the Shropshire Witches the girls look at the history of sex appeal not through the lens of scandal…
Beyond the Jolly Roger: The True Story of Piracy
From the rum-soaked decks of the Caribbean to the storm-lashed coasts of Britain, pirates have loomed large in our collective imagination—peg legs, eye patches, treasure maps and all. But how much of…
The Last Stop: Graveyards and the Necropolis Railway with Jono Namara.
In this evocative episode Alix & Amy are joined by graveyard expert and wit, Jono Namara. From Victorian graveyards to the eerie train that once carried the dead to their final resting place. Join us…
Chaste, Cunning or Canonised? Medieval Women With Gemma Hollman
In this episode, Historian and author Gemma Hollman peels back the veil on the lives of medieval women- from the crowned Queens wielding influence in turbulent courts, to the solitary anchoresses bri…
Drop Dead Gorgeous! A History of Beauty, part deux.
The gorgeous Victorians, Gibson girls, the vampy 1920's ... Alix and Amy dive head first into history's makeup bag. Looking at beauty standards from the 19th century to the 1990's.
Looking good babe ... A History of Beauty, part une.
In the first part of this two part'er, Alix & Amy discuss beauty standards through the Medieval beauty standards through to the Georgian era. From Codpieces to Mouse brows, the girls delve into histo…
Ghost Hoaxes!
In this episode Alix & Amy delve into the world of ghost hoaxes ... when is a ghost a ghost?
The Bideford Witches with Dr John Callow
In this episode the inimitable Dr John Callow discusses the Bideford witches, the last witches in England. John talks to Alix & Amy about the social attitudes towards these vulnerable women, and many…
The Licking Stones ... a history snippet.
In this very short snippet, Alix narrates the history of the Licking Stones of Carlisle Castle. These snippets are available for early release for our patrons over on Patreon.
Ghosts and more, with Professor Ronald Hutton.
In this episode we are trying to conquer being utterly star-struck by none other than Professor Ronald Hutton. Professor Hutton discusses ghosts, the modern fascination with witchcraft and much more …
*Valentines Day Special* Finding Love, via the folkloric handbook.
Love is in the air … In this episode we take a tour of love divination, the many weird and often amusing ways people would seek the face of their true love..
A History of Prisons ...
The history of Prisons has long been a source of historical fascination, in this episode the girls delve into the murky past. From the medieval Gaol to the Victorian Prison and of course, the much fe…
Where did you get that hat? A history of The Music Hall.
Come back in time to the gaslight Music Halls of the 19th Century. Alix and Amy delve into the history of this most beloved heritage treasure. Marie Lloyd and Dan Leno await ...
Witches and Witch Trials with Tracy Borman OBE
In this episode the inimitable Tracy Borman discusses witchcraft in the 16th and 17th century. From James I to Anne Boleyn, Tracy gives us a very tangible insight to the mindset and beliefs when it c…