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Witch Hill
Strange things are happening in the Village of Bridgewell. What is causing the yellowish mists that rise from Thorny Barrow and why don't they affect any of the surrounding hills? Why are normally harmless animals suddenly turning savage? When Gideon and Sarah visit old Cicely she mutters something about 'signs' and gives them pieces of garlic.
95 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1982
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August 17, 2024
Expanding on what Goodreads has, here's the full inside flap:
Set in Bridgewell (formerly Brigid's Well), somewhere near Taunton in Somerset, and near to 'Thorny Barrow' (which would have made a much better title for this book.. Witch Hill, how dull!), Gideon and his sister Cornelia are being cared for by Felicity, niece of an old lady in the village, Mrs. Kraft, during the summer holidays (mum's an antique dealer and is away, and dad's fairly useless, hence Felicity). Mrs. Kraft is as old and superstitious as their own great grandmother, who's currently on a round-the-world-cruise because she won the football pools (I love all the incidental rural Britishness of this story. There are mugs and jugs of cider being consumed by the adults, and tea solves 99% of all ailments). Sam and Sarah, the twins from across the street, have a school teacher and a doctor (their mum) for parents, and are enjoying a camp-out in their garden as the story begins.
At the outset of the first page, Gideon's already got a case of the heebie jeebies at dusk, and unless his eyes are very much mistaken, Thorny Barrow, a familiar hill on the horizon, has disappeared - simply vanished.
A local legend is uncovered, superstitious old ladies get suddenly quite tight (Somerset cider) and tight-lipped, and eerie happenings abound. In 95 pages, we are treated to a flurry of activity and backstory and Agatha Christie-like suspicions (THEY ALL DID IT!). There's even an escaped lion in the mix here.
But for me, apart from constantly being kept guessing with some very solid red herrings (and good rationale for their existence, too!), the 'whys' of this were pretty well constructed: the connection between the legendary Witch of Shackleford and Thorny Barrow; the historical cause of her ire; the motivations of said witch, both wholistically and personally; Thorny Barrow's mysteries (nicely mysterious even at the end, but not a cop-out by the author); and who in the village knows what about what and who... it's a very solidly constructed little tale, and the final reveal is pretty exciting. There's a short, hopeful denouement, but it doesn't give much to the reader, leaving us in a state of slight unease.
Honestly, this hits all the right notes for me - it's a perfect example for the Folk Horror Junior Listopia list, and I'll be looking to read anything by Maggie Prince that I come across - she's a brick. :)
Incidentally, if your name is Martin and you're from Doncaster, you'd like this book. ;)
Strange things are happening in the village of Bridgewell. Why are normally harmless animals suddenly turning savage? What is causing the yellowish mists that rise form Thorny Barrow on bright, sunny days, and why don't they affect any of the surrounding hills? The strange boy Gideon meets on Thorny Barrow gives him an ancient curved horn as protection - but against what? When Gideon and Sarah visit old Cicely Kraft, she mutters something about 'signs' and gives them pieces of garlic - an ancient protection against witches.Wow, nearly a perfect 95 page middle grade spooky read from the author who brought us Here Comes a Candle to Light You to Bed! It's punchy, it's dynamic, the characters are fairly standard in terms of 'local kids', but they're lively.
It's only when they unearth an old village legend about the witch of Shacklewood and the powers buried deep in Thorny Barrow that Gideon, Cornelia, Sarah and Sam realise that these things have all happened before. The ancient evil is making use of someone in the village to achieve its deadly purpose - someone the children know. They must warn people of the danger before it's too late, but who dare they trust? And who will believe them?
Jacket illustration by Annabel Large
Set in Bridgewell (formerly Brigid's Well), somewhere near Taunton in Somerset, and near to 'Thorny Barrow' (which would have made a much better title for this book.. Witch Hill, how dull!), Gideon and his sister Cornelia are being cared for by Felicity, niece of an old lady in the village, Mrs. Kraft, during the summer holidays (mum's an antique dealer and is away, and dad's fairly useless, hence Felicity). Mrs. Kraft is as old and superstitious as their own great grandmother, who's currently on a round-the-world-cruise because she won the football pools (I love all the incidental rural Britishness of this story. There are mugs and jugs of cider being consumed by the adults, and tea solves 99% of all ailments). Sam and Sarah, the twins from across the street, have a school teacher and a doctor (their mum) for parents, and are enjoying a camp-out in their garden as the story begins.
At the outset of the first page, Gideon's already got a case of the heebie jeebies at dusk, and unless his eyes are very much mistaken, Thorny Barrow, a familiar hill on the horizon, has disappeared - simply vanished.
A local legend is uncovered, superstitious old ladies get suddenly quite tight (Somerset cider) and tight-lipped, and eerie happenings abound. In 95 pages, we are treated to a flurry of activity and backstory and Agatha Christie-like suspicions (THEY ALL DID IT!). There's even an escaped lion in the mix here.
But for me, apart from constantly being kept guessing with some very solid red herrings (and good rationale for their existence, too!), the 'whys' of this were pretty well constructed: the connection between the legendary Witch of Shackleford and Thorny Barrow; the historical cause of her ire; the motivations of said witch, both wholistically and personally; Thorny Barrow's mysteries (nicely mysterious even at the end, but not a cop-out by the author); and who in the village knows what about what and who... it's a very solidly constructed little tale, and the final reveal is pretty exciting. There's a short, hopeful denouement, but it doesn't give much to the reader, leaving us in a state of slight unease.
Honestly, this hits all the right notes for me - it's a perfect example for the Folk Horror Junior Listopia list, and I'll be looking to read anything by Maggie Prince that I come across - she's a brick. :)
Incidentally, if your name is Martin and you're from Doncaster, you'd like this book. ;)
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