Witchy Places

I have visited Knaresborough quite a few times to walk, and shoot and entertain small children, but I had not visited it’s so called main attraction – Mother Shiptons Caves. As a bit of a summer treat we took the younger two out for the day and went to take a look.

For those who don’t know, Knaresborough is situated just outside of Harrogate, perched (mostly) above the river Nidd. It’s mentioned in the Doomsday book and the Castle dates from about 1100, and it is actually a lovely place to explore with easily enough to keep you occupied for a day or more in a relatively small town.

Mother Shiptons cave is just outside the town, on the other side of the river. The Legend of Mother Shipton is, of course, much embellished over time, but we do know that a woman named Ursula Southeil lived in Knaresborough between around 1488 to 1561, telling fortunes and making some statements which if not prophecy were certainly very astute predictions of the future.

The Mother Shipton attraction is not bad. Like many such places it looks a little tired, but with the cave, the petrifying well and the adventure playground it is a pleasant enough walk through the woods. A Family Ticket cost £30, which could be worse, but like so many things racks up for those less fortunate. When we went there was a Robin Hood themed event with a mystery trail, archery and sword combat for the children – I would suggest looking for these sort of added value events if visiting.

The Petrifying Well is certainly interesting, but I am very much of the opinion that important sites like this should be free to visit rather than shuffled away on private land.

After out time at the cave, we went for a walk around the town. We were treated to a punch and Judy show in the Market Square as a part of Knaresborough FEVA and there are plenty of interesting shops.

Another of Knaresborough’s key attractions is the castle – I have not been inside, but the grounds are certainly a good place to sit and the star of the show is Mourdour the talking Raven. If you hear someone saying “Y’a’right Love” in a sqeaky voice, but no one seems to be there you are not mad… …probably.

I also love the station at Knaresborough and always grab a few shots when I am there.