A walk round the Witches' Home.

Should you be fortunate enough to be able to visit the Witches’ Home by whatever method, you’ll arrive on the lawn that leads from a river to the large old half timbered manor house.

Facing the house you’ll see on the left hand end the workshop where Robert services clouds and rents out short term flying carpets. To the right of the building are the sheds where the witches’ flying brooms are kept. If you look closely you may notice a silvery sheen around the edges of the conventional looking scene before you. This effect is the magical field that separates the Home from this world and the other half of the building lying in the alternate world. Turn round and look back to the river where the same effect can be seen at either end of the water as it flows from somewhere and disappears into the magic field once past the Home.

Once inside the building at first sight it is very like any old stately home in our world. The entrance hall is impressive with honour boards on both side walls showing the names of previous holders of Grande Dame status, the greatest witching honour. There is a high domed ceiling and doors on either side of the large open space, go through any of these doors and as in most mansions you will progress through various common rooms. Should you choose the right path you will find the Refectory.

After a quick snack and a cup of tea, go back to the entrance hall. To your left a staircase makes its way to the upper two floors, while in the right hand corner railings and stone steps lead down to the basement.

Be very careful if you wish to explore down here. Every witch has her own room once she’s qualified. Here she can practice spells or make up the potions and wishes that have been ordered by the Wish Warehouse. If there is a red light shining over a doorway the witch inside is using magic and be warned that you should not enter under any circumstances.

There is a glass panelled door in the far wall of the entrance hall between the two staircases. This is where you have to decide if you want to explore further; for once through this door you enter the alternate world.

A word of explanation here, the Witches’ Home mansion house side exists only in our world while the castle side is only in the alternate world. The path between worlds is known as a Gate, a very big version of the ‘doors’ that witches use occasionally. So passing from the manor house to castle sides takes you from one world to the other. The castle is the side of the Witches’ Home that was strongly built to resist attacks by trolls and dragons when the worlds were separated so long ago. The corridors here are paved with stone and the rooms are much smaller and less grand.

Keep walking straight ahead and you will pass a guard room where a witch will warn you of the dangers of going outside. If you choose to continue you walk out into a courtyard surrounded by thick walls and battlements. Stone steps run diagonally up these walls to allow the witches to reach the embrasures and defend themselves if necessary. The last time this feature was used in anger in living memory was when the troll Lurgin attacked the building. He was trying to kick down the wooden drawbridge and had to be destroyed by magic from a Grande Dame using her staff of power.

As you can see everything of any importance from the end of the drawbridge I suggest you don’t go any further unless you’re accompanied by a competent witch. In front of you is a huge open space fringed by woods on the far side. To your left is the village of Lurbridge, while the path from it skirts the woods and carries on past a small building directly in front of you. Three unqualified witches sell potions from here for the use of the villagers.

From this point a separate path passes a dragon’s cave near the bottom end and leads you up a long incline eventually arriving at the giant Arthur’s castle. If you continue past the shop the path becomes less frequently used. Don’t go along that way as it leads to Happy Valley and eventually to a village of the red goblins.

Now go back inside the Home and visit the refectory for another quiet drink of your choice. Be thankful that you’ve seen a lot to think about and you’re still the same shape as you were when you went outside.