Newcastle's Town Moor: Fairs, Witches, and Common Land

If you say 'moor' to most people, they might think of Wuthering Heights, Dartmoor, or Bodmin. You probably won't immediately think of the Town Moor that lies immediately north of Newcastle upon Tyne's city centre.  While it's not filled with ghost stories, fairy legends, or tales of the Devil creating local landmarks, the Town Moor does play a role in the folk history of the city. It has hosted regular fairs for centuries, been an execution site for witches, and even been home to a smallpox isolation hospital. So what tales can this expanse of open land tell? Let's find out in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/newcastle-town-moor/ Enter the Fabulous Folklore Turns 5 Competition: https://forms.gle/F5vqPSNuMAzVYLin6 As the Light Returns: The Folklore of St Brigid's Day talk with Creswell Crags: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/as-the-light-returns-the-folklore-of-st-brigids-day-tickets-764409498387 Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Fabulous Folklore Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/fabulous_folklore Enjoyed this episode and want to show your appreciation? Buy Icy a coffee to say 'thanks' at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Pre-recorded illustrated talks: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick/shop Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/ Find Icy on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/icysedgwick.bsky.social Tweet Icy at https://twitter.com/IcySedgwick