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Plants, Health and Magic in the 17th century Fens

Join historian Dr Tabitha Stanmore to uncover the plants, health and magic of the Fens.

Date
23 Apr 2026
Time
19:00
Free
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Photograph looks out over the Breckland fens. Water can be seen in the foreground, surrounded by long grasses and a few trees on the horizon

When you think of the Fens – marshlands, wildlife and rare plants might pop into your head. But 400 years ago, it was a very different story.

In the 1600s, these wetlands were seen as an unhealthy place where the air could cause fevers, and all manners of spirits could spread disease. So, how did the people who called the Fens home survive?

Join historian Dr Tabitha Stanmore to uncover the region’s deep-rooted traditions, plant knowledge and how everyday magic shaped the lives of the people who lived in the Fens.

*If you are a member you should have already received your personal email invitation directly from our team (contact us if you haven’t!). New members will receive a link in your welcome email.

Speakers

Dr Tabitha Stanmore, Social Historian of Medieval and Early Modern England

Tabitha is a social historian of medieval and early modern England, specialising in the history of magic and witchcraft. She is currently researching the 1640s East Anglian witch hunt and how it interacted with the drainage of the Cambridgeshire Fens.

Her first book, Cunning Folk: Life in the Era of Practical Magic, was a New York Times book of the year and won the Folklore Society’s Katharine Briggs Award (2024).

Jo Jones, Breckland Conservation Officer

Jo Jones is Brecks Conservation Officer and coordinates a group of 60 people who form the Breckland Flora Group and systematically survey the rare plants of the Brecks, recording their abundance, mapping their location and noting the habitat condition where they are growing. Jo is interested in the inter-relation of people and plants, social history and her roots are in the Fens, where generations of her family farmed.