Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Though the dam crest is long gone, the tower still stands.
Den Hvide Jomfru (The White Maiden)
The front of the mosque.
Şakirin Mosque
Ornate decorations are part of some of the music boxes.
Terranova Music Box Museum
Take some of Michigan’s produce home with you.
American Spoon
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England Finchingfield Howe Street Witches Burial
AO Edited

Howe Street Witches Burial

Inside the Finchingfield Guildhall, two sticks that belonged to alleged witches in the 17th century.

Finchingfield, England

Added By
Caro Daniels
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Witch’s Stick in Finchingfield Guildhall   carodaniels72 / Atlas Obscura User
Stick found in Goody Mumford’s cottage   carodaniels72 / Atlas Obscura User
Finchingfield Guildhall   Oxyman / CC BY-SA 3.0
Finchingfield Guildhall   Oxyman / CC BY-SA 3.0
  Steve 55 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Northeast of the village of Finchingfield is the little hamlet of Howe Street, and a little further along is a typically English grassy triangle where the roads to Finchingfield, Stambourne, and Wethersfield meet. At this junction three witches are said to be buried, including Goody Mumford, a schoolmistress of Howe Street in the late 18th century. Mumford was allegedly caught teaching witchcraft to some of the local girls, then dragged from her cottage, which still stands today, and stoned to death by a mob. 

In 2014, Finchingfield Guildhall was donated two fascinating sticks by Joan King. The first, a witch stick, was found in a wall of her father’s, Daniel Peddar's, 17th-century thatched cottage a couple of miles outside the village. Daniel Peddar’s great, great-grandmother's sister is thought to have been Goody Mumford. He believed that following her death the stick was put in the wall of her cottage, where he found it. A witch’s stick was thought to ward off evil spirits and protect against witches. The second exhibit to be donated was a fertility stick found in the middle of the thatched roof of the same cottage. The burnt-in designs feature butterflies, birds, and flowers. 

In the garden of Goody Mumford’s cottage was a well. Perhaps because of the house’s connection with witchcraft, the spring gained the reputation of being a wishing well, and the owner used to sell the water to tourists, while some made wishes on the spot.

Related Tags

Witchcraft Artifacts History Witches

Know Before You Go

Howe Street is a short drive outside the village. The sticks can be found in Finchingfield Guildhall in the village. There is a great little museum there but check the opening times on their website.

Community Contributors

Added By

carodaniels72

Edited By

Spiffy, Steve 55, Michelle Cassidy

  • Spiffy
  • Steve 55
  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

March 15, 2023

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.phoenixfm.com/2016/08/02/65211/
Howe Street Witches Burial
Church Hill
Finchingfield, England, CM7 4NN
United Kingdom
51.968272, 0.452537
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

William Kempe Memorial Tablet

Finchingfield, England

miles away

The Tomb of Maid Marian

Little Dunmow, England

miles away

Doctors Pond

Great Dunmow, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Finchingfield

Finchingfield

England

Places 2

Nearby Places

William Kempe Memorial Tablet

Finchingfield, England

miles away

The Tomb of Maid Marian

Little Dunmow, England

miles away

Doctors Pond

Great Dunmow, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Finchingfield

Finchingfield

England

Places 2

Related Places

  • Torre Federici from across Piazza della Torre

    Sonico, Italy

    Torre Federici

    A family accused of witchcraft once called this medieval tower home.

  • The Black Castle in South Queensferry, Scotland.

    Edinburgh, Scotland

    The Black Castle

    This severely painted building has a twisted connection to the witch hunts of the 1640s.

  • Frensham, England

    The Frensham Cauldron

    This cauldron was said to be hidden inside a church after it was borrowed from a local witch.

  • The foundations of the buildings that were at the center of the Salem witch trials in 1692.

    Danvers, Massachusetts

    Salem Village Parsonage

    Located just behind a quiet residential neighborhood, this is ground zero for the Salem witchcraft hysteria of 1692.

  • The former Lancaster County Courthouse, now the Lancaster History Museum.

    Lancaster, South Carolina

    Lancaster County Courthouse

    This former courthouse is allegedly the site of the last witch trial in the United States.

  • Interior of the historic roundhouse.

    Baltimore, Maryland

    The B&O Railroad Museum

    At the birthplace of American railroading, a world-class collection of historic trains.

    Sponsored by Visit Maryland
  • Anna Maria, Florida

    Anna Maria Historical Society—Belle Haven Cottage

    This small cottage once fell into Tampa Bay but was rescued and restored.

    Sponsored by Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
  • Antique printing equipment.

    Panama City, Florida

    Panama City Publishing Company Museum

    Discover old-fashioned printing through hands-on exhibitions and publishing artifacts.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.