Mother Shipton

Hi everyone!

So after a hectic couple of weeks, yesterday I decided to take some time out and head up north for the day with my family. We spent the morning in Harrogate in North Yorkshire then headed to Knaresborough where we spent the rest of the afternoon. It's right by the River Nidd and a truly beautiful place. 

We visited Mother Shipton's Cave. Mother Shipton was a Yorkshire witch who prophesied about future events in the form of poems. Her prophecies predicted the fates of several rulers within and just after her lifetime - the invention of iron ships, Great Fire of London in 1666, the defeat of the Spanish Armada... and even the end of the world! 

 And the Petrifying Well, which I was in ore at.

 Over the years, millions of people have come to see for themselves the amazing powers of the Petrifying Well. This ancient well, formerly known as the Dropping Well, is believed to be the only one of its kind in England. At the time Mother Shipton was born, Knaresborough townsfolk believed the well to be magic and never ventured near it. They had seen small twigs, leaves and perhaps a dead bird turned to stone in the well's falling waters.

They were very superstitious in those days and believed that if they touched the waters they too would be turned to stone! They noticed the side of the well looked like a giant's skull. The earliest written reference to the well was by John Leyland, antiquary to Henry VIII. He visited the well in 1538 and noted that it was very well-known and visited by many to drink and shower under its falling waters, as they were believed to have miraculous healing powers.

In the early 1600s samples of water were examined by a medical physician. His report concluded that the waters from the well were a miracle cure for any flux of the body!

In 1630 the section of the Royal Forest that now forms our park was sold by King Charles I. It was purchased by a well-known local gentleman, Sir Charles Slingsby. By then the well was so well-known and visiting it was so popular that he placed it on exhibition and charged for guided tours around it. He had no idea he was creating England's oldest visitor attraction! It is only in the last 150 years that scientific analysis has revealed exactly what lies behind the magical petrification process.

Today's visitor to the Petrifying Well can see a whole host of everyday objects slowly being petrified in the cascading waters. The most popular item is a teddy bear or soft toy which usually takes between three and five months to turn to stone.

We then went and sat by the riverside. It was hot and sunny , the perfect place for a picnic, oh how I wish we had packed one up. I could of stayed there all day, listening to the water flow past and watching the canal boats on the river. So relaxing.

I captured a few pictures, which I am pretty pleased with how they turned out to say I took them on my phone. Then we headed back home.

I love taking little days away, just to spend time with loved ones and gather my thoughts.

What have you been up to this week/weekend?

Emma x