Apparitions of the Pendle Witches appear in Dalton Square on Halloween night. Lancaster. Originally laid out in the late 18th Century the square was refurbished by Lord Ashton in 1906. The witches were a group of twenty women from east Lancashire who were tried together in 1612 at the court in Lancaster Castle. In those days witchcraft was a criminal practice punishable by death. It is generally agreed by historians that it was an accusation used by communities to get rid of awkward people as proof could be based on a single witness. Of the 20 women tried, one died while awaiting trial, eight were acquitted, one was imprisoned for a year and ten were condemned to death and hanged on the moor above the city. Ever since it is rumoured that their ghosts have appeared throughout the city.