General Witchfinders
Claim This Podcastby Ross, Jon & James | Exploring Cult British Horror Films, TV & Books
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Podcast Overview
<p><strong>General Witchfinders: The British Horror Podcast</strong></p><br><p>Welcome to General Witchfinders, a podcast dedicated to the dark heart of British horror and classic Hammer horror films – officially selected for permanent preservation in the British Library’s National Sound Archive.</p><br><p>If you are passionate about British horror cinema, Hammer films, classic folk horror, Nigel Kneale’s Quatermass, and the chilling legacy of British supernatural television, this is the podcast for you.</p><p>Hosted by lifelong friends Ross, Jon, and James, General Witchfinders dives deep into the world of British horror, gothic cinema, and unsettling archive television.</p><p>We explore everything from Hammer horror’s blood-drenched vampire classics – starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing – to the eerie landscapes of The Wicker Man, Tigon’s The Creeping Flesh, and Amicus anthology films.</p><br><p>Whether it is cinematic British horror icons like Dracula AD 1972 and The Curse of Frankenstein, modern independent UK folk horror like Possum and In The Earth, or sci-fi horror thrillers like Event Horizon and The Medusa Touch, we unearth the films that shaped the genre.</p><br><p>We cover the definitive British sci-fi horror of Nigel Kneale – including The Quatermass Xperiment, Quatermass 2, Quatermass and the Pit, The Stone Tape, and his terrifying TV anthology series Beasts.</p><p>Our episodes shine a spotlight on classic British horror literature, including the tales of James Herbert from The Rats to The Survivor, alongside vintage television gems like the BBC’s Ghost Stories for Christmas (Whistle and I’ll Come to You, The Ash Tree), Doomwatch, Tales of the Unexpected, Inside No. 9, Ghostwatch, and classic Doctor Who horror stories like The Dæmons and Horror of Fang Rock.</p><br><p>Expect thoughtful commentary, dry wit, and nostalgic tangents about 1980s and 90s British culture.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Beyond the Podcast</strong> We also publish the independent General Witchfinders horror zine and host live podcast events and film screenings for the UK horror community.</p><p>General Witchfinders is your premier audio guide to British horror, Hammer films, folk horror, Quatermass, and everything that makes the UK’s supernatural tradition uniquely haunting.</p><p> </p><p>Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or grab our latest horror zine and live event tickets at <a href="https://www.generalwitchfinders.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.generalwitchfinders.com</a>.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Listener Reviews</strong></p><br><p><br></p><p>“Really entertaining and insightful. About half a dozen episodes done so far, and all on horror/supernatural things I personally love and wanted to hear more about. Lots of new facts and just downright entertaining takedowns. Great work.” – 5 Stars *****</p><br><p><br></p><blockquote>🦴 “If you’re looking for a fun chat about vintage British horror and sci-fi, then this is the podcast for you.” – 5 Stars *****</blockquote><p>Support this show <a target="_blank" rel="payment" href="http://supporter.acast.com/general-witchfinders">http://supporter.acast.com/general-witchfinders</a>.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Language
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Publishing Since
1/3/2021
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Recent Episodes
July 14, 2026
71: Penda’s Fen (1974) – BBC – Dir. Alan Clarke – Spencer Banks, Georgine Anderson & Ian Hogg
<p>The 16th episode of the fourth season of the BBC anthology series Play for Today, Penda’s Fen – originally broadcast on 21 March 1974 – is widely celebrated as a visionary masterpiece of British folk horror and 1970s television drama. Written by David Rudkin and directed by Alan Clarke, Time Out London named it one of the 100 best British films.</p><p> </p><br><p>The Visionary Realism of Alan Clarke</p><p>Director Alan Clarke is renowned for his stark social realism and controversial depictions of institutionalised communities. His 1977 borstal drama Scum was banned by the BBC, later returning as a 1979 feature film, while his television film Made in Britain introduced Tim Roth as a racist skinhead. He tackled corporate corruption in Beloved Enemy, military interrogation in Psy-Warriors, and directed David Bowie in Bertolt Brecht’s Baal. His final work, The Firm starring Gary Oldman, drew heavy press criticism for its depiction of violent football hooliganism in Thatcher’s Britain.</p><p>While Penda’s Fen trades Clarke’s urban realism for a mystical landscape of angels and demons, it retains his fierce preoccupation with identity, authority, and systemic oppression.</p><br><p>Cult Television & Audio Connections</p><p>The surreal atmosphere is driven by an electronic score from Paddy Kingsland of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Kingsland manipulated a Benjamin Britten recording for the play, and went on to score The Changes, the radio and TV versions of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and classic Doctor Who serials.</p><p>The cast links directly to landmark British cult media:</p><p><br></p><ul><li><strong>Spencer Banks (Stephen Franklin):</strong> The quintessential 1970s television adolescent, Banks also starred as Simon Randall in the children’s sci-fi series Timeslip.</li><li><strong>Georgine Anderson (Mrs Franklin):</strong> A veteran of the Royal Shakespeare Company who later played May in the 2007 Doctor Who episode ‘Gridlock’ – representing the show’s first married same-sex couple.</li><li><strong>Ian Hogg (Arne):</strong> Famous as the lead in Rockliffe’s Babies and the villainous Josiah Samuel Smith in the Doctor Who story Ghost Light.</li><li><strong>Jennie Hesselwood (Mrs Arne):</strong> Mother of Toby Jones and wife of Freddie Jones (Dune, The Elephant Man).</li><li><strong>Graham Leaman (Sir Edward Elgar):</strong> Features a massive Doctor Who pedigree including The Macra Terror (tying directly back to the Macra in ‘Gridlock’), The Seeds of Death, and The Three Doctors.</li><li><strong>Ivor Roberts (Cooke):</strong> A familiar face from the ‘Croftiverse’ comedies Oh, Doctor Beeching! and You Rang, M’Lord?, as well as Genesis of the Daleks.</li><li><strong>Ron Smerczak (Joel):</strong> Later transitioned to action cinema in American Ninja 4: The Annihilation and Cyborg Cop.</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Current Promotions & Events</p><p><br></p><ul><li><strong>The General Witchfinders Book Club:</strong> Our debut spin-off episode is out now, run with independent bookshop Teaseland & Skylark in Dorchester. Host Ross welcomes author Ray Newman (The Grave Digger’s Boy) to unpack Andrew Michael Hurley’s folk horror novel, Starve Acre. Listen here: <a href="https://tinyurl.com/GW-BC-01" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://tinyurl.com/GW-BC-01</a></li><li><strong>Summer Spin-Off – Department X:</strong> Join James and Ross as they investigate the 1970s obsession with ESP, telekinesis, and psychic premonitions. Listen to 'Mysterious Powers & Strange Forces' here: <a href="https://tinyurl.com/MYSpower" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://tinyurl.com/MYSpower</a></li><li><strong>London Halloween Live Show:</strong> We are taking over ActOne Cinema in Acton on Friday 30th October at 7:30pm for a screening of Hammer’s Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde and a live podcast recording. Tickets are £14: <a href="https://tinyurl.com/DRJeky11" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://tinyurl.com/DRJeky11</a></li><li><strong>'Hammer Presents' Blu-ray Giveaway:</strong> Win a bundle of restored rarities including The Snake Woman, Dr. Blood’s Coffin, Cry of the Banshee, and Crucible of Horror. Enter before Friday 31st July: <a href="https://tinyurl.com/HamPrize" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://tinyurl.com/HamPrize</a></li><li><strong>General Witchfinders Issue 4:</strong> Grab our 76-page zine of unsettling folk horror fiction, original artwork, and deep-dive features: <a href="https://tinyurl.com/gwZINE" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://tinyurl.com/gwZINE</a></li></ul><p><br></p><br><p><br></p><br><p><br></p><br><p><br></p><br><p><br></p><br><p><br></p><br><p><br></p><br><p>Support this show <a target="_blank" rel="payment" href="http://supporter.acast.com/general-witchfinders">http://supporter.acast.com/general-witchfinders</a>.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
July 8, 2026
Book Club 01 - Starve Acre by Andrew Michael Hurley (with Ray Newman)
<p>Welcome to the very first episode of the General Witchfinders Book Club – a new spin-off from our regular British horror podcast, run in partnership with <a href="https://www.teaselandskylark.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Teasel & Skylark</a>, an independent bookshop in Dorchester.</p><br><p>To accompany our real-life, face-to-face book club meet-ups, host Ross Cleaver invites a special guest co-host onto the show every two months to discuss our latest reading choice.</p><br><p><br></p><p>On this inaugural episode, Ross welcomes author Ray Newman. Ray is the author of the novel The Grave Digger’s Boy, as well as three exceptional collections of short stories: Municipal Gothic, Intervals of Darkness, and Thin Places in Hard Concrete. Together, they delve into Andrew Michael Hurley’s acclaimed 2019 novel, Starve Acre.</p><br><p>Starve Acre </p><p> </p><p> ‘An impeccable work of folk horror’ – The Irish Times </p><p> </p><p>The worst thing possible has happened. Richard and Juliette Willoughby's son, Ewan, has died suddenly at the age of five. Convinced that the boy still lives on in some form, and desperate to make contact, Juliette seeks the help of the Beacons, a seemingly benevolent group of occultists. Richard, an art historian, tries to blot out the pain of his grief by turning his attention to the field opposite their house, Starve Acre. Patiently he digs in the barren soil looking for the roots of a legendary oak tree, but unearths something which ought to have remained buried. </p><p> </p><p>‘I will confidently predict that no reader will guess where it's heading . . . Hurley's ability to create a world that's like ours in many ways and really not in many others is again on full display’ – The Times </p><p> </p><p> </p><h3>How to Get Involved</h3><p>We want to build a community around these books, both locally in Dorset and remotely with our podcast listeners and zine readers.</p><p><br></p><ul><li>Join us in Dorchester: Ross leads the in-person discussions at the King’s Arms Hotel. Spaces are limited, so sign up at the Teasel & Skylark shop. Local club members get 10% off the featured books, plus 10% off all other books and gifts in-store (excluding original artwork). These discounts are only available in person at the shop.</li></ul><p><br></p><ul><li>Join us from elsewhere: If you are not local, read along at home and send your thoughts or audio voicemails to <a href="mailto:generalwitchfinders@gmail.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">generalwitchfinders@gmail.com</a>. </li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><h3>Support Independent Bookshops</h3><p>If you are close enough to Dorchester, please order your copy through Teasel & Skylark and pop in to collect it. If you cannot get to West Dorset, please find your local indie store via <a href="https://bookshop.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a>.</p><p><br></p><h3>Links & Resources</h3><ul><li>Book Club Info: <a href="https://generalwitchfinders.com/the-general-witchfinders-book-club/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">General Witchfinders Book Club</a></li><li>Our Partner Bookshop: <a href="https://www.teaselandskylark.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Teasel & Skylark</a></li><li>Find Indie Shops Nationwide: <a href="https://bookshop.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a></li><li>Support the Show: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/c/generalwitchfinders" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">General Witchfinders Patreon</a></li><li>Social Media: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/generalwitch1/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/generalwitch.bsky.social" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bluesky</a></li></ul><p> </p><p><strong><u>Featured Guest Links (Ray Newman):</u></strong></p><p><br></p><ul><li>Blog: <a href="https://precastreinforced.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Precast Reinforced</a></li><li>Bluesky: <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/raynewman.bsky.social" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ray Newman on Bluesky</a></li><li>Books: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grave-Diggers-Boy-gripping-mystery/dp/1912986736" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Grave Digger’s Boy</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thin-Places-Hard-Concrete-Newman/dp/B0GW52L6D" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Thin Places in Hard Concrete</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Intervals-Darkness-Ray-Newman/dp/B0DDTL1NHT" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Intervals of Darkness</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Municipal-Gothic-Thirteen-ghost-stories/dp/B09QP9NLV3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Municipal Gothic</a></li></ul><p>Support this show <a target="_blank" rel="payment" href="http://supporter.acast.com/general-witchfinders">http://supporter.acast.com/general-witchfinders</a>.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
July 1, 2026
Department: X Mysterious Powers and Strange Forces
<p>Summer is the season of the spin-off at General Witchfinders. We have a few episodes beyond our usual format to share, starting with James’s exploration of parapsychology in the 1970s.</p><p>Why did that decade see such a dramatic rise in the cultural obsession with ESP, telekinesis, and psychic premonitions? James has been digging into the archives and thinks he has the answer.</p><p>Join James and Ross for an intriguing journey into the seventies counterculture in our new spin-off: ‘General Witchfinders – Department X: Mysterious Powers & Strange Forces’.</p><br><p>For people who struggle with background music behind speech, here is a voice-only version – <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=https%3A%2F%2Fdrive.google.com%2Ffile%2Fd%2F1am2tJWJtB_wIqxax3E11S-7eZQVLzyAw%2Fview%3Fusp%3Dsharing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1am2tJWJtB_wIqxax3E11S-7eZQVLzyAw/view?usp=sharing</a></p><br><p>Support this show <a target="_blank" rel="payment" href="http://supporter.acast.com/general-witchfinders">http://supporter.acast.com/general-witchfinders</a>.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
116 total episodes available
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- What is General Witchfinders?
<p><strong>General Witchfinders: The British Horror Podcast</strong></p><br><p>Welcome to General Witchfinders, a podcast dedicated to the dark heart of British horror and classic Hammer horror films – officially selected for permanent preservation in the British Library’s National Sound Archive.</p><br><p>If you are passionate about British horror cinema, Hammer films, classic folk horror, Nigel Kneale’s Quatermass, and the chilling legacy of British supernatural television, this is the podcast for you.</p><p>Hosted by lifelong friends Ross, Jon, and James, General Witchfinders dives deep into the world of British horror, gothic cinema, and unsettling archive television.</p><p>We explore everything from Hammer horror’s blood-drenched vampire classics – starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing – to the eerie landscapes of The Wicker Man, Tigon’s The Creeping Flesh, and Amicus anthology films.</p><br><p>Whether it is cinematic British horror icons like Dracula AD 1972 and The Curse of Frankenstein, modern independent UK folk horror like Possum and In The Earth, or sci-fi horror thrillers like Event Horizon and The Medusa Touch, we unearth the films that shaped the genre.</p><br><p>We cover the definitive British sci-fi horror of Nigel Kneale – including The Quatermass Xperiment, Quatermass 2, Quatermass and the Pit, The Stone Tape, and his terrifying TV anthology series Beasts.</p><p>Our episodes shine a spotlight on classic British horror literature, including the tales of James Herbert from The Rats to The Survivor, alongside vintage television gems like the BBC’s Ghost Stories for Christmas (Whistle and I’ll Come to You, The Ash Tree), Doomwatch, Tales of the Unexpected, Inside No. 9, Ghostwatch, and classic Doctor Who horror stories like The Dæmons and Horror of Fang Rock.</p><br><p>Expect thoughtful commentary, dry wit, and nostalgic tangents about 1980s and 90s British culture.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Beyond the Podcast</strong> We also publish the independent General Witchfinders horror zine and host live podcast events and film screenings for the UK horror community.</p><p>General Witchfinders is your premier audio guide to British horror, Hammer films, folk horror, Quatermass, and everything that makes the UK’s supernatural tradition uniquely haunting.</p><p> </p><p>Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or grab our latest horror zine and live event tickets at <a href="https://www.generalwitchfinders.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.generalwitchfinders.com</a>.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Listener Reviews</strong></p><br><p><br></p><p>“Really entertaining and insightful. About half a dozen episodes done so far, and all on horror/supernatural things I personally love and wanted to hear more about. Lots of new facts and just downright entertaining takedowns. Great work.” – 5 Stars *****</p><br><p><br></p><blockquote>🦴 “If you’re looking for a fun chat about vintage British horror and sci-fi, then this is the podcast for you.” – 5 Stars *****</blockquote><p>Support this show <a target="_blank" rel="payment" href="http://supporter.acast.com/general-witchfinders">http://supporter.acast.com/general-witchfinders</a>.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p> - How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates bi-weekly.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 9 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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