Manningtree and Mistley and the Witchfinder General
Visit Manningtree and Mistley, to explore and understand the life of Matthew Hopkins, the Witchfinder General and the women he accused of witchcraft.
This is my most popular tour, it’s something a bit different. It appeals to book groups, Key Stage3 students, interest groups, and those interested in the role and position of women in society during the period when Matthew Hopkins styled himself the Witchfinder General and persecuted many women across East Anglia.
For a day trip you could first visit Colchester where Matthew Hopkins imprisoned many women in the cells inColchester Castle, and then travel by train or coach across country to Manningtree and Mistley, where Hopkins lived during his reign of terror. The two towns are on the banks of the beautiful River Stour, which is the border between Essex and Suffolk.
In Manningtree and Mistley join me for a guided tour to explore the stories of the women Matthew Hopkins persecuted, and visit some of the places along the way that the women and Hopkins would have known.
Book Groups
This tour is very popular with book groups who have read books such as ‘The Manningtree Witches’ by AK Blakemore and ‘The Witchfinder’s Sisters by Beth Underdown. And recent TV series ‘The Witchfinder’ (Daisy May Cooper and Tim Key) and ‘The Witches of Essex’ (Ryan Clarke and Professor Alice Roberts) have raised the profile of the tv watching public.
School groups
The subject is also popular with teachers and students studying the OCR A-level History module ‘Popular Culture and the Witchcraze of the 16th and 17th Centuries’. It makes for a good day or afternoon trip out to put all the classroom studying into context, bringing the events of the past to life.
There are a number of tearooms and pubs in Mistley and Manningtree for lunch, including the Mistley Thorn, and Tea at the Quay in Mistley and The Crown in Manningtree.
All the tours can be tailored to meet the needs of your group. For more information please email us (essexdaysout@gmail.com) or use our contact form and I will get back to you.
