‘Pendle Witch’ Alice Nutter statue unveiled: PHOTO SPECIAL

She was accused of being a Pendle Witch and hanged in Lancaster along with nine others from the area. The new statue shows how she made to leave her village to go to Lancaster as a prisoner.

On Saturday, lots of people attended the launch of the statue, unveiled by Roughlee ex-resident Bobby Elliott, the drummer with The Hollies since the Sixties.

The campaign to get her statue established in the village has been led by Coun. James Starkie, and has been created by David Palmer, of DP Structures Ltd, who made the Shuttle in Nelson centre.

There were two Alice Nutters in Roughlee on Saturday - as well as the statue, there was the bus named after her, one of the Burnley and Pendle Transdev Pendle Witches double deckers which operate the Nelson to Manchester service call The Witch Way.

Roughlee Parish Council and Pendle Council organised a trip for guests by bus touring Pendle Witch country, including Roughlee Hall and Barley.

During the trip, historian Simon Entwistle gave a talk about the lives and hangings of the women accused of being witches.

For many years it was said Alice had lived at Roughlee Hall, but it is believed she actually lived elsewhere in the village.

Her metal figure has been placed by the side of Blacko Bar Road, close to the entrance to Pendle Valley Caravan Park. Coun. Starkie made it clear Alice is thought to have lived within 100 yards of the location. He said: “This is a modern interpretation of what Alice may well have looked like.”

Village vicar the Rev. John Hallows said: “Four hundred years ago there wasn’t a vicar in this parish!” And he added: “It is great to honour one of the residents of Roughlee who had a terrible life.” Mr Hallows added that people in the past were demonised by other people’s expectation of them.

Julian Jordan, who is organising a Witch Walk up Pendle Hill from Barley Green on August 18th, invited people to join it. The plan is to have lots of witches on Pendle that day.

Bobby unveiled the statue, and afterwards said: “It is quite an honour to be invited back to my own village. It was a pleasant experience for everyone.”