Canewdon, Essex, England

Canewdon Church

Canewdon Churchyard

The church is the focal point for a number of legends. One states that as long as the tower stands tall over the countryside, there will always be six witches in the village. A second proclaims that should a stone fall from the tower, one of those witches will die and another will take its place. A third legend maintains that if you walkanti-clockwise around the church on Hallowe'en, a witch will appear to you. However, if that does not put you off, walk around it a total of thirteen times, and the Devil himself will show up! Please bear in mind that this is not appreciated by the villagers, and has resulted in the local police preventing non-residents visiting on Hallowe'en.

 

According to Coxe, the apparition of an old lady in a “crinoline and poke-bonnet” has been sighted in the churchyard and surrounding lanes. It is believed that she was executed for being a witch.

 

Jones states that unusual lights have been reported, as has the sound of someone chopping wood.

 

For more information, please read Haunted Britain by Antony D. Hippisley Coxe and Haunted Britain by Richard Jones.

Location

Visitor Information

Canewdon is a village in Essex, England.

It is approximately 4 miles northeast of the town of Rochford. Canewdon is situated on one of the highest hills of the Essex coastline from which St. Nicholas church affords wide views of the Crouch estuary.

Pictured left is Canewdon Church courtesy of Julieanne Savage. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.