OLD MOTHER SHIPTON'S CAVE Old
Mother Shipton's Cave England's oldest tourist attraction, first
opening to the public as an entrance charging attraction in 1630.
Home to Mother Shipton who as a prophetess and soothsayer, the cave is just one of several natural attractions along the banks of the River Nidd in Knaresborough. Nearby is the Petrifying Well where the water is rich in carbonate and sulphate and gives objects a stone appearance when immersed in the water for a long time such as the teddy-bears and other items hung up on display above the well. The water comes from a deep source and the flow did not diminish during the dry summers of 1976, 1995 and 2018. There is also a Wishing Well, a museum and a children's adventure playground. Living between 1488 and 1561 Mother Shipton is believed to have predicted the London Plague of 1665, the motor car, iron ships, air travel and the internet. www.mothershipton.co.uk
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