The White Rose Witches
The White Rose Witches were named after the symbol for Yorkshire, although in early drafts the series was simply referred to as 'A Yorkshire Witch, Evie's story'.
The village that the white rose witches live in, is inspired by places like Thornton-le-Dale and Hutton-Le-Hole. It borders a small town centre. Within travel distance on bus, train or car is a large, thriving city based on Leeds and York.
The pretty high street of cottage shops starts at one end with the pub, known to locals as 'the brew' (below) because a local medieval home brewed on the site years ago and the name stuck. Along the street you'll find places like Harriet's cafe (featured in the books, get a glimpse below), the local tearooms, a spa (featured in the books, scroll down to take a peek), a small convenience shop and others such as an old fashioned sweet shop, a wool shop and a florist, to name a few. When you reach the old coaching inn that is now an upmarket restaurant and hotel, you know you have reached the end of the high street.
If you turn around and follow the street back, before you reach the pub again you'll notice a road that's little more than a lane. This will take you up to witch farm and the woods. Lots of people walk and drive up and down this lane, for the witch farm, despite it being whispered, has been turned around in recent years and the cafe with its children's play area is hugely popular, as are the quadrant of shops that sell everything farm related. There's a butchers, a bakery, a fruit and vegetable shop, a deli, a dairy shop that showcases the best from the farm's cows, sheep and goats, and 'The Store Cupboard' - a shop that sells everything that belongs in a kitchen cupboard, jams, chutneys, pickles, crackers, soups, dried goods and more.
It all sounds very cottagecore and cute, until you realise the darkness that runs through the village. It is a place where witches hide and fairytales are lived. It's a village filled with folklore and distorted memories, rumours and nightmares. It's the type of place where people don't talk about childish imaginations, because maybe, perhaps, possibly...ancient beings do walk there, amongst them.
The Witch Farm
Officially called High Lëah Farm, now combined with the adjoining Keldgarth Farm, siblings Atlas and Evie were abandoned here. In the last few years, all their hard work has paid off and the farm has been turned around and diversified with the bright cafe we see here and shops that include a bakery, a delicatessen, a patisserie, a fruit and vegetable shop, a dairy shop, and 'The Store Cupboard'
Imagine walking around the quadrant. On one whole side you have a cafe, on three sides you havel the shops mentioned. Its extremely popular on weekends and school holidays. The other side of the cafe is a wooden children's play area and a small petting farm.
Most of the products available on the farm come from the farm or are locally sourced. Evie and Atlas used to take their produce to a weekly Sunday farmer's market when they were younger and Evie dreamed up the shops was back as a teenager.
The New Farmhouses
Evie's plans
Evie's plans to knock down the old farmhouse and build two individual eco houses, one for her and one for her brother, are her focus. She thinks with the overhaul of what used to be the stables into the cafe and quadrant of shops, the final stage to get rid of the witch farm label will be the new houses.
The Village High Street
The Spa
The local spa features in the friends' life as a place that they go to for relaxation and to reconnect. It's situated on the high street, nearer to the hotel end. There's a small side entrance and car parking behind the building for customers.
The spa is hugely popular with the locals. Jae's mum owns the spa and keeps the prices for everyday treatments as low as possible, bumping up the luxurious treatments to compensate. You can pop in just for a nail appointment, or book a whole day and have unlimited drinks (limited alchoholic drinks) and full meals served.
The spa is where we meet my favourite side character, Jae.
Harriet's Cafe
Pink haired tarot reading witch Harriet took a gamble with her cafe, playing on the rumours of ancient witches in the village.
Harriet grew up in the village listening to the rumours of the witches up on witch farm. Her grandmother taught her tarot and palm reading. Harriet dropped out of university, she thought that she wanted the city, a big life and a corporate career only to find an intense homesickness overtook her and more than anything she wanted to be back in the heart of the village where everyone knew everyone.
Harriet hand makes all her desserts. her favourite thing to make is macarons.
The Coach House
No-one really remembers when this was built, there's a general agreement because it was a coaching inn. Historical records show a record of a place to rest horses and have a bed for the night from the early 1600s
With the rise of tourism in the town The Coach House saw significant financial investment. The ground floor is a spacious bar with free wifi, places to charge laptops and tables to work from for guests in the daytime, and an adjoining restaurant, with spacious back rooms for hire (an FMC's impromtu wedding is held here). They have retained the old wide arch that carraiges drove through upon arrival and the older back rooms have an historic charm whilst the front bar, reception and restaurant have a modern feel.
Uptairs, the suites offer standard hotel accomodation. Most tourists are only passing through, the village is tiny and can be seen in a day.
The restaurant's best meal showcases local game.
The Florist - Jenna's Flowers
We meet another shop owner, Jenna, in book 3
Jenna grew flowers with her grandfather in his allotment and it was this that gave her the dream to start her own. She worked for the existing florist until they retired, then managed it for them until their death, and was able to take over the lease herself.
The florist is situated in the middle of the shops on the high street.
The Plough (the brew)
The Plough, the local pub, used to be two separate buildings. It's now a two room pub with a back bar that extends all along the two rooms although the public still have to leave by the entrance to go into the room next door. It frequently changes hands.
The pub offers a standard UK pub menu, drinks and is a place for locals to get together after a tough week and relax. Unlike the farm, its not centered around children or things for the home. They have a pool team, a darts team, quiz nights and there used to be a hugely popular karaoke on Friday nights when the FMC's were doing their 'A' Levels.
If you say you're going to The Brew instead of the brew, you've immediately identified yourself as a non local trying to be local.
The pub is a local haunt of Robbie and his siblings.
The Olde School House - Robert & Phoebe's home
The Original Oak Hall Academy
Robert and Phoebe are the parents to five of the adults that we meet throughout the series - Robbie, Liam, Katie, Bodhi and Paige. The close family emigrated from Australia before Paige was even conceived. Emigrating to the UK was a dream of Robert's after he saw Yorkshire on a postcard and it hit a space in his heart. Oak Hall Acadamy moved to a purpose built school building whilst Evie andd her friends were still there. The old school was sold several times until Robert and Phoebe were able to afford it. The family turned the building, once a house, then turned into a school with hastily added walls to create small classrooms, into a spacious seven bedroomed family home. By the time they were finished, only trainee midwife Paige still lived at home. All the chidlren drop by regularly, several times a week, the house is filled with love.
Phoebe is a trained nurse and holds a senior position at the local hospital. Her fiery youngest daughter is training as a midwife.
The Olde School House sits firmly in the village and is within walking distance to the farm
It has a pool table that Max and Rey love
An area for their children to hang out was always on Robert and Phoebe's wishlist but in their quest for a bigger and better house they were always lost in renovations.
Regardless, the pool table still sees their adult chidlren come home and connect.
Phoebe always wanted large gardens
Phoebe wasn't as keen on emigrating as her husband and still occasionally misses Australia and the life that they had there. She thinks life in the UK is harder, but wouldn't move away from her children.
Robert kept moving the family to bigger and better homes in the hope that his wife would finally find a place that felt like a permanent home.
Robbie thought about moving back to Australia
It was taken out during edits but Evie and Robbie had a long converation in the original manuscript. He had been planning to return home (Australia) in a few months. As the eldest, he had clearer memries of life in Australia and missed it like his mum.
The conversation originally saw them plan a holiday in Australia with an idea about spending part of the year there.
Rosa's Cottage
A short walk from the High Street you'll find Rosa's cottage nestled in the old stone village. It features heavily in 'This Dark Path' (book2)
Rosa's cottage was bought below market value. It was one of those houses that had lots of views but no one bought. When you stepped inside it was so oppressive, most viewers couldn't wait to leave. Even at below market valuation price, it was still at the maximum of Rosa's limit. There's a specific reason she wanted her granddaughter to grow up in the Yorkshire countryside instead of their Italian town or London.
Gia is slightly shocked at the upgrade the cottage has seen since she was last in it.
Country roads
The english countryside is full of winding roads that look as though there's only room for one car,
The village is in a picturesque setting, on the edge of the dales, with winding country roads and stone cottages . Its the type of place where everyone knows everyone and their business. Nothing stays quiet or secret.
I chose to set the book series in a small village for the beautiful Yorkshire scenery but also to try and convey the frustration of being talked about that my characters feel.
For more scenic pictures I'm building inspiration portfolios on pinterest for each character. My board is under my name.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
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