A SEALED bottle found on the Purbeck estate has been identified as an 18th century witch bottle.

It is believed the artefact, which was found by the National Trust, is a counter-witchcraft measure to ward off horned cattle distemper, the foot-and-mouth of the period.

The six-inch tall bottle with liquid inside was found buried upside down six inches below the ground under a wall on a parish boundary between the villages of Langton and Worth Matravers.

Its contents have undergone chemical analysis by Dr Alan Massey, of Loughborough University, an expert in witch bottles, and found to contain 30 different components, including decayed animal fat.

Many of the 200 witch bottles found in the UK to date are either opened and drained of their contents or broken. This is one of only four to conserve its contents.

The practice of concealing witch bottles appears to have started in the 16th century.

They are usually found concealed at entrance or exit points, beneath the hearth or threshold, beneath floors or in walls. The contents include something representing the victim, often urine, eyelashes or nail clippings.

Nancy Grace, National Trust archaeologist based at Corfe Castle, said: "What is fascinating about a find like this is that it offers us pointers to the way people felt about their lives."

The bottle will be on display at the Castle View Visitor Centre at Corfe Castle for two weeks.

First published: October 27