Exhibition

Witches: Suffolk’s Dark Legacy

16 October 2026 - 21 February 2027
10:00-16:30, Monday – Saturday

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The Suffolk witch trials were some of the most brutal and widespread in England. This is the story of some of those accused.

Between 1645 and 1647, the Suffolk witch trials were some of the most brutal and widespread in England. Step into the story with a major new exhibition from Suffolk Archives.

Unearth stories of some of the 150 Suffolk people who were accused of witchcraft, and the looming figure of Mathew Hopkins, Witchfinder General.

Understand how the feverish atmosphere of the witch trials reached boiling point through bewitching items including Malleus Maleficarum or The Hammer of Witches, and Daemonologie by King James I, on loan from the British Library.

Explore how the image of the witch has evolved through time, from the old hag in a pointed hat to the self-sufficient witch of TV and film today. Beautifully illustrated through books, prints, and works of art including John Waterhouse’s Magic Circle, on loan from the Tate.

Be spellbound by the true story, and dark legacy of witchcraft in Suffolk.

This exhibition is made possible with a grant from the Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund.

This listing is supplied by one of our museum partners and is not moderated by Art Fund.

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IndividualTiana Clarke Please note this is an example card and not a reflection of the final product

Visitor information

Address

Suffolk Archives

The Hold, 131 Fore Street, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4 1LR
01473 296666

Free to all

Opening times

Monday - Saturday 10am-5pm (exhibitions)

Tuesday - Saturday 10am-4.30pm (archives)

Visitor information