A "staggering array" of carved curse rituals known as “witches' marks" have been uncovered at Gainsborough Old Hall in Lincoln.
According to English Heritage, the discovery is the most identified at any of its 400 sites, with around 20 carvings mapped on the walls of the Tudor property, which was once visited by King Henry VIII and his fifth wife Catherine Howard.
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A wide range of designs were found and mapped, with the highest concentration etched on the walls of servants’ quarters, by English Heritage volunteer Rick Berry over a two-year period.
Some of the rare witches markings found were traditionally believed to ward off evil, while others contained curses. These include a pentangle, which was originally used to protect against evil. A simple circle featuring a six-petal design of a daisy wheel or a hexafoil was believed to trap demons. While other designs included overlapping Vs or Marian marks, believed to call on the Virgin Mary for protection.
“It's astonishing that centuries on, the amazing old buildings in our care still have secrets waiting to be discovered, said English Heritage's Head of Collections, Kevin Booth in a statement.
“The Old Hall has undoubtedly had a tumultuous past, not least under the ownership of the apparently unpopular William Hickman, but why it's the scene of quite such a high concentration of protective carvings remains a mystery.”
Rare 'curse' inscriptions estimated to have been made around the time the merchant William Hickman owned the property (from 1596) have also been discovered.
In one inscription, Hickman's name is written upside down. The practice of defacing a name was widely believed to curse the named person and is something not seen before at an English Heritage site, and is more commonly associated with the Roman and Anglo-Saxon period.
Volunteers also discovered approximately 100 burn marks – once believed to protect against fire, making Gainsborough Old Hall a significant 'protected' site for the charity.
