Witching Time was the first episode of the Hammer House of Horror series to be aired and set the tone for the series, gore, nudity and a good horror related story.David Winter (Jon Finch), a soundtrack composer working from his home, Woodstock Farm. During a thunderstorm David finds a young frightened woman (Patricia Quinn) in his stable claiming to be a 17th century witch.
Believing her to be crazy, David tries to help her and takes her to the house where he calls his doctor Charles to come over and examine her. This is when the story takes off with Lucinda reeking havoc on David and his Wife Mary (Prunella Gee).
When Charles arrives Lucinda has vanished. Charles believes that David is over doing it and has been hallucinating on the drugs he had previously prescribed for stress. David retires to his bedroom but Lucinda is back. She removes her cape to reveal her naked body. They end up in bed together and during their passionate romp she claws her nails down David's back leaving deep scratches.
When Mary arrives home David tells her that he is sure Lucinda is real. Then a bizarre sequence of events occur beginning with Mary discovering a dead bird on the bed, the bath filling up with blood and a bust falling down the stairs nearly hitting Mary. Mary decides to leave and starts to pack her bag, but wind howls through the room, blowing clothes from the cupboards. Lucinda's laughter can be heard. Suddenly the wind stops.
Following these events Mary goes to see the local vicar (Lennard Pearce) to asks for an exorcism. They look through old church records and find and entry about a Lucinda Jessop who managed to escape the witch trials but was never found. On discovery of this information Mary gallops home but Lucinda steps out in front of the horse causing it to bolt and Mary to fall off. Mary wakes up in hospital with dreadful pains down her left side. She returns home to find the bedroom completely wrecked with a Voodoo doll on the mantle piece with knives inserted down the left side. Mary agonisingly pulls the knives out one by one and then goes to find David but he locks her in the cellar while he prepares and lights a large fire outside.
Mary manages to escape from the cellar but David finds her and during a struggle Mary manages to lock David in the barn but when she turns round towards the fire Lucinda is there. Mary remakes the voodoo doll into Lucinda and tries to throw it into the fire but Lucinda manages to stop her. Mary then discovers that Lucinda is afraid of water and throws a bucket of water over her. The two women struggle and Mary forces Lucinda down into the water trough and drowns her.
Mary opens the barn door to let David out of the burning building. They throw the voodoo doll into the fire - we hear Lucinda scream.
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| David Winter Jon Finch |
Mary Winter Prunella Gee Well known British actress who has notably appeared in UK Soap Coronation Street |
Lucinda Jessop Patricia Quinn |
Charles Ian McCulloch |
Rector Lennard Pearce Famously known for his role as Grandad in UK comedy series Only Fools and Horses |
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| Sister Margaret Anderson |
Programme production details for Witching Time
| Script Anthony Read |
Director Don Leaver |
13th September 1980 (UK ITV)
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| Woodstock Farm | Oohh Naughty! | Decapitated bird found on the bed | Tasty | Trashed bedroom |
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| The voodoo doll | David at work | Mary finds the cellar door open | David builds a fire | Lucinda |
The house used for Woodstock Farm is located near to Hampden. The
actual address is not declared to protect the privacy of this residential address.
Hampden House Church is used for the exterior shots when Mary visits the rector. I'm not sure
if the interior shots are Hampden Church though.
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