Yorkshire witches congregate in York for the city's first witch coven

Around 100 witches met for York’s first witches coven at the Hocus Pocus Tiny Hotel in the city’s spellbinding historic city centre.

The event had been organised by Camelia Andrei and Vincent Roberts, the owners of the Hocus Pocus Tiny Hotel.

One of those attending was solicitor and mother-of-two Elizabeth Jane Matfin - who also owns Bridal Reloved in York.

She said: “We had a wonderful evening. We arrived and there was already a throng of witches.

“We popped into the neighbouring Viking bar, Valhalla for a couple of stouts. Then back to the hotel. We were blessed with sage, turning 360° under it. We then got to have a look at two of the hotel's quirky rooms before going on a tour around York visiting some spooky spots including the Treasurer's House. We then returned back to the hotel. Prizes were given to the best dressed witches and myself and my friend Catherine were lucky enough to both receive one.”

While witches traditionally have been depicted as ugly, evil and devilish, witches in Yorkshire and beyond are found in all paths of life, religions and age groups.

They are connecting through social media and arranging meet-ups - or 'covens' - to discuss their craft in a group.

In the past, and still to this day to a certain extent, people were branded a witch to stigmatise the women who didn’t fit societal norms.

The history of so-called “Yorkshire witches”

There is a growing community of witches in Yorkshire, but one ‘Yorkshire witch’ previously told the Yorkshire Post how witchcraft is much more to do with healing than it is black magic and evil spells.

“Yes I make potions and spells but these are to heal. They’re never to create evil,” said one prominent Yorkshire based solitary practitioner called ‘Pris.’

While there is a bit more understanding of witchcraft in Yorkshire today, in Pris’ younger years she was accused of being evil.

She said: “It’s not spooky, scary or evil. I make custom spells. I’m a healer.”

Three notorious stories of Yorkshire witches which have stood the test of time however, unlike the positive examples, are the tales of Mary Bateman aka the Yorkshire witch, Mary Pannal and Mother Shipton.

Bateman is believed to have been a serial killer and was branded a witch, whereas Pannal was a herbalist and when a little boy died from one of her medicines, she was branded a witch.

Mother Shipton is also well known in Yorkshire but as England’s most famous prophetess for foretelling the fates of leaders.