Mother Shipton's Cave. Photo by Lesley Nixon.
Mother Shipton's Well at Knaresborough seemed a
little-known attraction that none of my work colleagues at the
Manchester Royal Infirmary had heard of.
You will find it in an idyllic setting along the River Nidd,
about a 30-minute drive from Manchester.
It includes a picnic area, children's adventure playground,
boating, Mother Shipton's Cave, two wells and a museum.
It cost £5.75 per adult entrance fee, but is well worth it.
In 1488, a 16-year-old called Agatha became pregnant and
refused to name the father, so the townsfolk of Knaresborough
hounded her out of the village.
She found shelter in the cave and had her baby, named Ursula.
Ursula grew up gathering food and berries from the king's
land.
She was married to a carpenter for a while until his untimely
death.
Her body grew bent with age and she was considered very ugly,
with her chin and nose almost meeting.
It is thought that Judy, of Punch and Judy fame, is modelled
on her.
Her prophesies came to the attention of Henry VIII, who sent
three courtiers to see her.
She had a premonition of their visit and was able to tell
them how they would die.
She said in the future there would be men walking and talking
under the sea and in the air.
She prophesied the world would end when the nearby bridge was
destroyed three times.
It has been rebuilt twice so far.
By the bridge is a pub called The World's End.
Mother Shipton predicted correctly the date she would die.
The dripping well is opposite Mother Shipton's Cave.
The water starts in an underground lake a mile away, arrives
in an intricately-patterned moss pool and falls over a small
cliff face.
Because the water is rich in calcium deposits, everything it
drips on turns to "stone".
A line has been hung across the small waterfall and hats,
shoes, teddy bears, bags, etc hang there.
It takes three months to petrify them.
The next well is the very tiny wishing well.
You put your right hand in the water and make a wish (but not
for money), and it will come true.
The riverside walk takes you to the museum, which was
extremely interesting.
Petrified items such as Queen Mary's shoe, John Wayne's hat,
a wedding bouquet from the TV series Eastenders and Raquel's
shoes from Coronation Street are displayed.
Mother Shipton's Well is considered the United Kingdom's
oldest tourist attraction, with visitors taking in this
fascinating phenomenon since 1630.
- Lesley Nixon is a Dunedin medical secretary who is
obsessed with everything Coronation Street.
Whether you're just back from Timbuktu or Taieri Mouth, we'd be
interested to hear.
For a chance to win a Lonely Planet book on the country of
your choice, send a 300-400-word article and photographs to
odt.features@odt.co.nz or
post to Reader Postcard, Travel Editor, PO Box 181, Dunedin.
Remember to include a self-addressed envelope and your phone
number.
Bookmark/Search this post with:
A name, residential address, and (preferably residential) telephone number is required from readers who comment on ODT Online. These details will not be visible to site visitors.