Feature article

 On a typical, sunny afternoon in Cornwall you could be enjoying a cream tea in a quaint tea room, or taking a walk on one of the many beaches strewn along the beautiful Cornish coastline...But for those who seek something of a darker, and much more spooky nature, look no further than Bodmin Jail where tales of spirits and witchcraft are not only confined to Hallow's eve.

 Taking into account the Jail's history of keeping some of the county's grizzliest murderers, chaotic witches and terrifying mad men, it comes as no surprise that the building is said to be inhabited by many a restless soul.
 Bodmin Jail formally closed in 1927. Before this time it played host to countless public executions, while housing inmates that included young children who were brutally punished for crimes such as petty thievery which sometimes resulted in the youths being put to death. It was not uncommon for the jail to also see child murderers imprisoned, this included mothers who ended their babies lives in utter despair in hope of ensuring a better life for others of the family.
 Most namely of which is a tormented soul; Selina Wadge, convicted in 1878 of casting her two-year-old son to the bottom of a well so she could wed her lover. Many individuals have reported sightings of Selina's ghost roaming the jail, most commonly she has been seen, or simply heard sobbing in what was once her cell, as historic accounts describe her doing when she was lead to her death at the hangman's noose, the gallows of which are still present and on display to this day.
 Some visitors have also claimed to feel a breath on their face, or something ethereal touching or pulling at them. In other instances, whistling can be heard echoing from the long desolate prison cells.
 Those interested in the paranormal are naturally drawn to this place, in fact there are regularly held events at Bodmin Jail for those ghostly inclined individuals among us, hosted by psychic medium and energy therapist Mark Rablin. During the workshops that Mark guides, visitors are taken on overnight stays at the prison, and are taught about the art of divining and more psychic explorations while learning the vast, dark history of the Jail.
"I first became interested in learning more about psychic energy after attending an event at this prison," Mark explained. "There is no doubt that people do learn a lot and sometimes have extraordinary encounters when they come to spend the night here. At one event a few days ago, a table that several of us were sitting around actually hovered a few inches off the ground."
 Mark endeavours to show that paranormal instances aren't as terrifying as many may think. "The aim is to teach people to sense energies that we might not realise we're aware of" Some, he claims, often hear things, others actually witness these events.
 "One dramatic instance was when a lady visiting the prison in the day time saw a woman dressed in Victorian clothes and complained that her outfit wasn't realistic and that she didn't want to see second rate actors around the exhibition. Selina Wadge then melted back into the wall she was standing next to and the lady apparently rushed to the bar area in a very distressed state."
 Mark recalls an event where he was physically pushed from a low wall he was perched upon during his initial visit to the jail.
 "There are lot's of people who have encounters. I don't encourage fear, though. I try to help people to understand what they are experiencing."
 It was not only murderers and thieves who were imprisoned in Bodmin Jail. A famous inmate was a renowned witch, Joan Wytte, know to locals as 'The Fighting Fairy Woman of Bodmin'. She passed away while imprisoned in 1813 as a victim of bronchial pneumonia. Famed as a clairvoyant, people would persue her services as a seer, diviner and a healer. One of her healing practices entailed taking cloth strips from a sick person, tying the cloth to a tree or holy well and leaving them to disintegrate, believing the disease would do the same.
 Post-death, her skeleton was displayed at the Boscastle Museum of Witchcraft. After examination it was discovered that she had a large tooth abscess that would explain her reputation for entering into aggressive brawls, which resulted ultimately in her incarceration.
 During 1998, Grayham King, owner of the museum, arranged the burial of Joan's remains in a peaceful wooded area in Boscastle. The inscription on her gravestone reads: "Joan Wytte. Born 1775. Died 1813 in Bodmin Jail. Buried 1998. No longer abused."
 Joan's tale is just one of many intriguing stories of Cornish witches that are on show within the biggest collection of Wicca artefacts in the world. The museum receives visitors the world over who are able to browse through over 2,000 artefacts that represent every British magical tradition from medieval angelic magic to modern day Wicca.