Everyday objects ‘turn to stone’ at England’s ‘oldest tourist attraction’

Mother Shipton’s Cave in Knaresborough was once home to a famous soothsayer, and it was believed that the strange ability of the Petrifying Well was witchcraft at work

An ancient cave boasts centuries of history steeped in supernatural legends – and magic was once thought to be responsible for the astonishing natural phenomenon that takes place in its waters.

Located in historic woodland along the River Nidd, Mother Shipton’s Cave in the market and spa town of Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, is part of a 12-acre site that has attracted visitors from around the world for almost four hundred years.

According to legend, the cave is the birthplace of famous prophetess Mother Shipton. It’s said that the soothsayer, otherwise known as Ursula Southeil, was born inside the cave in 1488 during a violent thunderstorm.

Mother Shipton was famed for her supposed ability to see into the future, predicting events like the Great Fire of London and the defeat of the Spanish Armada, which gave her a reputation as a witch.

Apparently born with bulging eyes, a crooked nose and a hunchback, cackling instead of crying, some ancient sources claim that Shipton was a spawn of the Devil.

It’s thought that she was raised inside the cave by her young mother for the first two years of her life, and then spent most of her days in the forest surrounding it where she would pick flowers and herbs to make potions.

While it’s not known just how much of the legends are true, historians believe that a woman by the name of Shipton definitely lived in Knaresborough over 500 years ago, and clearly left quite the impression.

The legacy of Mother Shipton lives on centuries later in the town where she grew up.

In Knaresborough a 15th century pub, the Mother Shipton Inn, is still named in honour of the soothsayer, and the town unveiled a statue of their most famous historical inhabitant in 2017.

Visitors flock from around the world to see the birthplace of the prophetess – but the Mother Shipton legend isn’t the only attraction of the eerie cave.

It’s also home to the Petrifying Well, which is renowned for its ability to “turn objects to stone”. The well was opened to paying visitors in 1630, back when the water was believed to have miraculous healing abilities, making it the oldest tourist attraction in England.

Visitors can place objects in the well’s cascading waters and see them “petrify” as if by magic, turning something like a cuddly teddy bear into “stone” within three to five months.

Once thought to be witchcraft at work, it can be explained by a strange natural phenomenon which occurs when water has an unusually high mineral content, giving anything that falls into it in a hard stony coating over time.

Visitors to the well can see objects hanging like stalactites above the well that have been left to petrify, and the on-site museum has even more – from “stone” telephones and bicycles to a shoe left by Queen Mary in 1923.

“Stone” teddy bears are even available from the gift shop.