Does a graveyard just outside Preston, Lancashire, hold the final resting place of a local witch? This is the legend of Meg Shelton, whose boulder-topped grave can be found in the churchyard of St Anne’s in Woodplumpton.
Intrigued by the story of Meg Shelton, I went to visit her grave which is situated on the outskirts of Preston. Her grave is marked by a boulder and a small plaque that says “The Witch’s Grave. Beneath this stone lie the remains of Meg Shelton, alleged witch of Woodplumpton, buried in 1705”.
But who was Meg Shelton and was she really a witch?
Meg Shelton was possibly a local woman whose real name was Margery Shelton. Local legend had it that she could transform herself into animals , turn milk sour, make cattle lame and would steal milk from her neighbours’ cows. There were many local stories about her, but it is believed that she was a cripple who walked with a pronounced limp. Legend has it she once shape-shifted into a hare. The farmer’s dog saw the hare and chased it into Meg’s cottage and nipped it’s hind leg, and from that moment on Meg had a limp.
More than likely she was probably a misunderstood, poor peasant crippled local woman who perhaps knew how to use herbs to heal or use charms, a traditional healer or what was known back then as “cunning folk”. Or maybe her neighbours just thought her odd and annoying, and a bit of a misfit!
Many of the stories surrounding her have more than likely been embellished over time, from a period in history when superstition and gossip was rife, and anyone who didn’t conform to the norms was demonised.
Mysteriously, Meg suffered an unusual death, being found dead pinned by a barrel against a wall in her cottage. Was her death a mere accident or perhaps an unsolved murder?
A friend of mine who lived in Woodplumpton as a child, told me that the local children regularly danced around the grave. When I visited the grave, it had flowers placed by the side of the boulder and, according to my friend, it is often adorned with flowers. It seemed to be very well tended and treated with respect.
The village itself today is still quite small and you get a sense of how much smaller and possibly isolated it would have been back in Meg’s time. Back then it would have been a largely agricultural area.
The church of St. Anne’s, where Meg’s grave is situated, was rebuilt in 1639 on the site of an earlier building. Twelfth century stonework exists within the current church walls, indicating previous building.
If Meg Shelton was a witch she would probably have not been buried within church grounds, but it could be that the grounds have been extended over time, therefore incorporating Meg’s grave.
So why the boulder over her grave? It is said that the townsfolk buried her three times, but each time she would scratch her way to the surface. To stop her from doing this she was buried face down and a granite boulder placed over her grave to stop her from resurfacing again!
When I visited, it took a while to find the church. For some reason my Sat. Nav. kept putting me back on the motorway. After a couple of attempts, I stopped in near the village and reset my Sat. Nav. and it worked. Was this Meg up to her tricks?
The church itself is a lovely looking building, although at the time I was I was unable to go in. The graveyard also was very well kept. Whilst I was there a gardener was busy tending to the grass. The path to the church was bordered with flowers. There are the village stocks nearby and there is a sundial on the church wall.
The village of Woodplumpton is quite a pretty place and there are traditional local pubs nearby serving food and drinks, although I didn’t go to any of these on my visit!
Below are some photos I took during my time there, an interesting place to visit and connect with local folklore.
Angel Reis 