Creepy, bizarre and utterly mesmerising, this place is like nothing else in Cornwall. The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic (MWM) in Boscastle, near Tintagel, is deliberately otherworldly as it is devoted to the underground world of the occult.
The story behind the museum is as interesting as the macabre objects that are on display. In short, it was founded by film director and folk magician Cecil Williamson in 1951 on the Isle of Man but he later sold that museum after arguments and wranglings of mythical proportions. He opened another in 1954 in Windsor but due to local opposition, that museum moved around the country until it finally found its home in Boscastle in 1960. It’s changed ownership a couple of times since the 1990s but, since the 1960s, it has remained supremely popular with both the British occult community and the hordes of visitors who stream through its doors yearning to learn about history’s darker and more unusual side.
The museum is dedicated to European witchcraft and magic, housing exhibits devoted to ceremonial magic, folk magic, Wicca, witches, warlocks and all things occult. Many have described its collection relating to magic and witchcraft as the largest in the world. More than 3,000 items are within its walls and it’s impossible to pick out the best displays as it’s so crammed with eye-opening pieces from floor to ceiling. Magical tools like glass knitting needles. Voodoo-esque dolls, including a Hitler pin cushion to ‘hex’ the German leader. Black mirrors for scrying. Crystal balls and talismans. Preserved skulls. Goddess statues and ouija boards. It’s just got the lot in here.
You could visit this museum and lose yourself in the bizarre and gruesome historical objects and pieces of art. But to get the full experience, you need to read and learn in there, especially when it comes to the appalling history of persecution against witches and natural healers that continues today in some parts of the world. Of course, there’s also a shop that stocks all manner of souvenirs, books and trinkets. Plus, the museum contains a large library on related topics for researchers. For an afternoon like no other, hop on your broomstick and make a ritual journey into the MWM. Expect a magical experience.