Posted by 
A Preston-born author has published a new novel which explores the myths around the ‘witch of Woodplumpton’, Meg Shelton.
David Hatton, who was brought up in Ashton-on-Ribble and now lives in Buckshaw Village, was inspired by stories of witchcraft relating to Meg Shelton, who is buried in a witch’s grave in St Anne’s Church, Woodplumpton.
The Witch of Woodplumpton tells the fictional story of Reverend Isaac, who believes one of his parishioners is behind suspicious happenings in the area and is on a mission to find out who.
Read more: See history in and around Preston
But as he uncovers the secrets of the village’s past, he starts to wonder whether the legacy of Meg Shelton could actually be true.
David said: “When I was young and went on family walks, we sometimes passed the grave of Meg Shelton and my dad would tell me all these stories about her.
“I recently revisited the grave with my partner, David, and sent some photos to friends and explained the tale behind it.
“They said it sounded like the pitch for a new novel and while I initially dismissed the idea, I ended up writing five or six chapters of the book and everything else went from there.”
David says while all the characters in the book are fictionalised, apart from Meg, he found her story and that moment in history too fascinating to resist.
He said: “It was nostalgia that brought me back to the story of Meg Shelton, but it was fascination that spurred me on, especially rumours that suggest she is buried upside down, with a boulder placed on top of the grave to stop her rising out of it.
“And when I started to research the era I began to see these people as human beings. When you think about the witch trials you think it is all in the past, but many of the things that caused them to happen are happening today.
“If you think about cancel culture, the way minorities are treated or how people treat others on Twitter [X] then they are caused by many of the same emotions or prejudices.”
David has written six other books, including one called ‘Camp’ which examines the treatment of homosexuals during the Holocaust.
And while David dreams of one day being a full-time author, his day job is being a ‘talent partner’ for a global packaging firm and overseeing the development of new recruits who come on board.
The Witch of Woodplumpton is out now on Amazon.
Subscribe: Keep in touch directly with the latest headlines from Blog Preston, join our WhatsApp channel and subscribe for our twice-a-week email newsletter. Both free and direct to your phone and inbox.
Read more: See the latest Preston news and headlines
