Goofs

During the first ambush, Trooper Marshall's flintlock pistol is shown in closeup as not cocked yet manages to fire it at the ambusher without touching it with his other hand to cock it.

When Stearne stabs the soldier by the river, he stabs him near the right shoulder, but the wound shown in the next shot is on the left side.

Real flintlock pistols of that period were useless at beyond point blank range and yet, in this film, people are shot at 50 metres or more.

Historical evidence shows that in real life Matthew Hopkins was probably not older than 25 years old when he died.

The film depicts Matthew Hopkins as being killed in 1645 whilst witch-hunting. In fact he lived until 1647, dying of natural causes, by which time he had retired from that 'profession'.

The woman hanged in the pre-credit sequence appears to die as soon as the stool is kicked away from the gallows. Hanging in this period was by the "short drop", which killed by slow strangulation; victims commonly struggled for several minutes, or even longer. The "long drop" method of hanging, which broke the victim's neck, was not commonly used until the 19th century.

When the first woman is burned near the end of the movie, she is screaming, but when she is set ablaze, she stops as if she was instantly killed, while she would be burning and screaming until dead. However, the smoke inhalation and burning of the lungs could lead to an inability to vocalize at all.

Before Richard hits the innkeeper in the stomach, the bulge of the padding under the man's shirt is clearly visible.

The pistols are clearly not real flintlocks, as the flintlock mechanism does not operate when they are fired.

No blood on ax used to kill Mathew.

The end titles conclude with the familiar, "All persons depicted... entirely fictional... any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is entirely coincidental" - and yet, not only was the title character a real person, but also the film features an appearance by Oliver Cromwell.

There are several references to the value of payments in 'guineas'. However, the gold coin of that name was not minted until 1663, eighteen years after the film was set.

The film, set in 1645, talks of "Cromwell's Roundheads" and depicts Cromwell as commander-in-chief and leading the Army at the Battle of Naseby. In fact, Oliver Cromwell was not a founder member of the Parliamentarian ('Roundhead') movement. He was still only second-in-command at the time of Naseby (under Sir Thomas Fairfax), and would not become commander-in-chief until 1650, and even then was still subject to the will of Parliament.

When the Witchfinder's assistant meets up with him shortly after the burning, a modern plastic drainpipe can be seen on a building behind. Also during the burning, a few TV aerials can briefly be seen on some roofs.

When the camera zooms in on Hopkins on horseback at the start of the opening titles, a wooden telegraph pole and wires can briefly be seen in the background on the left.

When Stearne is chasing Marshall through the fields, tracks left by a 20th century mechanical tractor are clearly visible.

The camera shadow on the back of one of the villagers on the bridge just before the accused witches are lowered in the moat.

When Sara and Reverend Lowes are having an evening meal with Marshall, all the shadows cast come from a single light source, but there are two candles on the table.

The locals invariably speak with a generalized West Country accent, (for example the shepherd at c. 48 minutes) or even an Irish lilt. (for example: at c.65 minutes) There is no sign at all of the distinctive Suffolk/East Anglian accent to match the film's setting.