Esoteric Kent’s Wunderkammer - Kent's most mystical treasures
Columnist Anna Willatt, aka Esoteric Isle, goes on the hunt for the county’s curiosities
We are blessed with so much history at our fingertips in Kent, much of it what I like to term as esoteric. Whether you are a local, or a visitor to the Garden of England during the summer months, there’s a lot to discover.
Let’s open the Wunderkammer (Curiosity Cabinet) and meet some of the intriguing souls keeping Kent Esoteric!
Canterbury - The Beaney - Crystal Sphere, possibly magical, 5th-8th Century
We start our exploration in Canterbury, a mystical city situated, as some say, at the convergence of ley lines. The Beaney is a gift in the centre of town with its very own curiosity cabinet, but my magpie eye is drawn to this beguiling crystal sphere with an unknown purpose but noted as possibly ritualistic or magical. Bingo!
Mitch Robertson, programming and museums manager explains “rare objects like this early medieval crystal sphere offer a glimpse into the everyday beliefs of people in Kent, opening a window on to a world where the physical and spiritual were deeply intertwined, and reminding us of the vital role museums play in connecting people today with the lives, values and imaginations of the past”. Shivers!
Canterbury - University of Kent Special Collections and Archives - Speght edition of Chaucer’s Works, 1598
Staying in the city and getting into the medieval, I headed over to the University of Kent to hear from Christine Davies, special collections and archives coordinator, about its current exhibition, which explores journeys through the medieval world.
“My favourite item on display here has to be our Speght edition of Chaucer’s Works from 1598,” shares Christine. “I love to see signs of past ownership in rare books because these material remnants connect us with other people otherwise obscured by time. The Canterbury Tales is, of course, an unfinished work and the pilgrims never reach Becket’s shrine, but their meandering tales remind us that it is perhaps the journey, not the destination, which matters most.”
So wise! To embrace the pilgrimage in Canterbury, a trip to the revamped Canterbury Tales is also highly recommended - this roving reporter had a hoot and had to peel herself away from the tavern mead at the end.
Margate - The Shell Grotto - Séance Photo, 1939
Seaside towns are the perfect place for the esoteric - far away from large cities with expansive horizons to inspire (witch)craft and niche pursuits. As Nicky Paton, manager at The Shell Grotto, tells me: “Whether you believe the grotto was an ancient temple or a 17th-century folly, there is little debate over how special it feels to enter. It exudes an atmosphere that can't be communicated in a photograph: calm, complex, protective - something that feels greater than the physical.” After having experienced the grotto for a very special event with Charlotte Church and The Samhain Society last October, I couldn’t agree more.
The famous séance photo graces many of the grotto’s gift cards. I asked Nicky for the inside esoteric scoop… “There is no record of whether anything spiritual came through during this particular session, but it was one of many that took place in the grotto in the mid-20th century. One of the ladies pictured is Mrs Mitchell, wife of the then-owner of the grotto.” So, now you know!
Sandwich – Guildhall Museum – Mayor’s Blackthorn Wand, 1962
I was amazed to come across the mayor’s traditional blackthorn wand on a chance visit to the wonderful Guildhall Museum in Sandwich and then set off to find out what I could about this 800-year-old tradition. Of course, my quest led me to the Sandwich Town Oracle - Millie at Creepy Moon, a Wunderkammer all of its own.
It’s common knowledge in this Cinque Port town that the wand wards off evil spirits, so, if you need to save humanity in future, you’ll need a Sandwich mayor wielding one on your side. It is the town sergeant’s job to find and prepare the blackthorn for the new mayor upon them taking office. As I discovered on the kenttreeogham.co.uk site, black rods or wands are used by cunning folk for binding and blasting. Sounds like you’ll be safe in Sandwich, as long as you aren’t one of the bad guys.
Tenterden - Smallhythe Place - Mermaid Doll by tarot illustrator Pamela Colman Smith, early 1900s
This summer is the perfect time to visit this bucolic National Trust property. This nest of female freedom and creativity has never felt so inviting thanks to the wonderful new book Pixie written by Jill Dawson about tarot illustrator Pamela Colman Smith.
I borrowed some of senior collections and house officer Dr Joe Ellis’s time to talk me through the growing exhibition of Colman’s work. “Many of the items on display are one of a kind because they were given as gifts from Pamela to actress Ellen Terry, who lived at Smallhythe,” he explains.
For example, the exhibition contains a handmade mermaid doll and a wooden box hand-decorated with sailing ship scenes, probably in remembrance of the voyage the pair made from America in 1899.
“They travelled in a large group, which included Bram Stoker and Henry Irving, who Pamela immortalised in a book of humorous caricatures. These were only found in a trunk at Smallhythe a few years ago and a selection is currently on the walls of the Lyceum Room.”
It’s truly magical to see works by Pamela’s hand, whether you are a fan of tarot or not. She was a fiercely individual and talented woman, as were all the women who spent time at Smallhythe Place. An esoteric date for your diary from Dr Ellis: “On 9th August, Jill Dawson is returning to Smallhythe, where she did much of her research for Pixie. She will be giving a fascinating talk about Pamela and the book. If you’re interested in theatre, women’s history, archaeology or just fancy a picnic in beautiful surroundings, Smallhythe is the place.”
Whatever you get up to in Kent this summer, remember - keep it eso!
Instagram/ Substack: @EsotericIsle
