A number of devices to keep witches and other evil influences out of the home have been encountered during the survey. Doors, windows and chimneys were at one time believed to be in need of especial protection to prevent the entry of witches. The skeleton of a cat was found buried beneath the threshold of the former vicarage (!). “M” for Maria, Mother of God, frequently reversed as “W” (27), has been seen incised on door jambs. This same sign has been noted in the Wiltshire surveys (Slocombe, 2001, pp. 86-87). A stoneware bottle of early 19th Century manufacture was found embedded in the earth mortar filling of a wall. This may be a late example of a witch bottle; a strategically placed bottle usually containing urine and thorns designed to cause pain to any witch trying to pass water.
27. “M” (or “W”) on the door jamb of an early
17th Century cottage
