Author: Dr Kit Leach

Dr Kit Leach is a freelance creative archaeologist, providing digital and in-person costumed public history events and resources (including talks, immersive experiences, trails and historically-themed products), incorporating art, crafts and storytelling. Since 2000, she has led Continuing, Professional and Adult Education courses and events for the WEA, University of Nottingham, Keele University and University of Oxford; she is an associate of the Chartered Institute of Archaeologists. Kit directs several research and community projects that aim to use historical research and engagement for social benefit, and raise funds and awareness for various charitable endeavours.

Woodcut of hobgoblin (house fairy) ‘Robin Goodfellow’. From the jest-book 'Robin Good-Fellow, his mad prankes and merry jests', Anonymous, 1639 (2nd Edn.). Simple black ink printed illustration of a standing male figure, naked - except for clusters of leaves around his middle and on the top of his head. He has shoulder-length hair, and a full, long, beard that covers his face; and his body is covered with long hair. His left hand rests on his hip; his right raised to hold a tree branch (as tall as the man), from which two smaller branches sprout, each bearing three single leaves. The image is from the British Library, and is edited by the author.

Phantoms, Fairies & Ritual Landscapes: #PMAC22 Twitter Paper

I’ll be delivering a paper as part of this year’s online Post-Medieval Archaeology Congress (#PMAC22), held by the Society for … More

Old Horizons: Returning to Ritual Landscapes

I’ve conducted little landscape work over the past decade (since the article I published in 2012-13).* This discussed the reuse … More

Norfolk ‘Merchant’s House’: Part One

Introduction This long-overdue post will be one of a series providing a brief outline of findings from a rural Early … More

Staunton Harold: Rebellious Royalist High-Church Chapel

Introduction I mentioned in the preceding post that about a month ago I revisited a nearby chapel, which given the … More

Chaos, Catastrophe and Christian ‘Counter-Witchcraft’?

Distinguishing Marks As I intend to discuss further within a subsequent post, various categories of graffiti are recorded within churches … More

Halloween Histories: Local Practices and Origins

Introduction The blog of a project that explores potential material evidence for folk belief surrounding witchcraft and other malevolent forces … More