
I have not been in the North of England in many years so it was time for a short break taking advantage of the nice weather (something not normal in England!!), and we made a visit to Knaresborough.
Knaresborough is a charming small town next to Harrogate, the river Nidd and the Knaresborough Viaduct give a beautiful and magical touch to this town. It is easy to walk around the city and most places are dog friendly , so little Tsuki was happy. We stopped for lunch at the Marigolds Cafe which is one of the many places where dogs are welcome. The restaurant has a perfect view of the River NIdd and offers boat hire too. Knaresborough is a cyclist paradise and also people walk along the River Nidd with great views from the cliff edges. There are many lovely old cottages and not far from the city centre you will find the ruins of Knaresborough Castle.





Mothers Shiptons cave is the oldest English attraction and it is located in Knaresborough. I have read about Mothers Shiptons and her prophecies so I was excited to visit this place. She foretold the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 and the Great Fire of London in 1666. She would foretell the future as a way of living and used to give advice to many people. Her story is sad as she was called a witch, without friends and family she lived all her life in the cave.
Just before the entrance to the cave is also the Petrifying Well, the well water comes from a spring which is rich in minerals. The ‘magical’ water turns things into stone and there are many petrified items hanging on top of the well. Many petrified items are on display in the museum not far from the cave. There is access at the back of the well where you can actually touch the water and make a wish letting the water dry naturally in your hands.




Mothers Shiptons burial place is unknown, the Church apparently refused to bury her so perhaps she was buried in the Royal Forest and the exact location has always been a secret. Some historians say that she may have been buried outside of York. There is a sculpture of Mothers Shiptons at Knaresborough’s Market Square and also a statue inside the cave.
The attraction has a children’s playground, an ice cream van selling a variety of lovely icecream and this place is dog friendly so they also have ice cream for dogs. There are displays of Alice in Wonderland and many other children’s tales, so this is not a scary place at all and little ones will have lots of fun.
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