Living as I do, not far from the New Forest I was intrigued by the title of this book and I am pleased to say I was not disappointed.
The author Philip Heselton has done an enormous amount of research and the book includes quotes, information from letters, books, official documents and conversations along with some wonderful photographs.
It is an absolutely fascinating read.
The official blurb:
In 1954 a book was published which claimed that witches were not just some historical oddity but that the author, retired civil servant, Gerald Gardner, had been initiated into a witch coven in the New Forest, Hampshire, England in 1939.
Many dismissed his claims, but Philip Heselton, who has been investigating the story for over 20 years, is convinced that what Gardner wrote about the witch coven was essentially true.
He has found that the New Forest coven was started by a group of esoteric intellectuals in the early part of the 20th century who believed in reincarnation and that they had been witches in a previous lifetime.
Philip Heselton has uncovered the likely membership of the coven and has brought them to life as never before.
