Mother Shipton
Ursula Southeil, circa 1486-1561, better known as Mother Shipton, earned nationwide fame within her own lifetime as a prophetess. Some accounts say she was born beneath the Dropping Well, on the west bank of the Nidd.
Her fame is first described in a 1641 publication, The Prophesie of Mother Shipton in the Raigne of King Henry the Eighth. It recounts her prediction of the death of Cardinal Wolsey in 1530 and a nightmarish prophecy of a devastated London, which was later thought to prefigure the Great Fire of London in 1666. However, a great many other predictions attributed to her, including the end of the world, were forgeries by later publishers.
She was unkindly described as “hideously ugly” in some later accounts, and a caricature of Mother Shipton appeared in an early pantomime. Some historians believe this character may have inspired the traditional pantomime dame.
Very little evidence of her ‘real’ life has been substantiated, although Henry VIII did send his antiquary, John Leland, to Knaresborough in 1540 to investigate claims of her prophetic powers. But the claim that she lived in a cave by the Nidd may be a conflation with the more factual story of St Robert.
The Dropping Well is now better known as the Petrifying Well, as it calcifies any item put into it, apparently turning it to stone. Today, the well is part of the Mother Shipton’s Cave attraction, which is open from April through to November.
understood and appreciated, both locally and further afield.”
Robert was initially buried outside his cave. The indentation marking his grave is still clear to see. His body was later moved to the nearby abbey, but was unfortunately lost during the Dissolution.
At the water’s edge
Heading back up Abbey Road and past Castle Mill, the main riverside promenade is reached. Looming on the right is the crag which supports Knaresborough Castle. The crag has so defined the town that Knaresborians have been known for centuries as ‘crag-rats’.
In summer, the promenade throngs with visitors, thanks to its pubs, cafés and rowing boat hire. But, in winter, the boats are locked away, and the promenade is far less crowded. Mother Shipton’s Cave and Petrifying Well is closed for the season. Picturesque cafés, such as the Marigold and the Black Mulberry, still provide a warm welcome, but the atmosphere is more relaxed and easy-going.
J M W Turner painted several views of this gorge in the late 1790s. It is thought he visited while staying with friends in Harrogate. One element of the scene was missing from his paintings, however: the viaduct. Knaresborough’s elegant railway viaduct was completed in 1851 and stands 78ft (24m) above the river. But it had a short-lived predecessor. The first viaduct was completed three years previously. On 11 March 1848, shortly before it was due to be opened for the first time, the structure collapsed into the river, a result of shoddy workmanship.
Happily, the replacement viaduct has led a long and sturdy life, bringing visitors in from Leeds and Harrogate for more than 160 years.
Passing beneath the viaduct, High Bridge is reached, marking the northern edge of the town centre and flanked by the main entrance to Mother Shipton’s Cave.
Up to the right is Henshaws Arts and Crafts Centre, a large, modern complex situated on the former site of Knaresborough Zoo. Founded in 1965, the zoo was famed for its lions, elephants and snakes. It closed in 1985.
The final landmark building by the river is Conyngham Hall. Today, the hall houses local authority offices, along with public parkland, but from 1925 to 1942, it was the home of Sir Harold Mackintosh, the Halifax toffee magnate and originator of the Quality Street brand. Mackintosh purchased several parcels of land bordering the river and gave a substantial portion to the people of Knaresborough. While the area is formally known as Mackintosh Park, many locals know it as Toffee Park, in a nod to Mackintosh’s famous wares.
Now, as Knaresborough prepares for another sparkling Christmas. The festive trees move into St John’s church, pilgrims visit the chapel in the crag and the cave of St Robert, and the hearths of inns and cafés are warmed up to welcome visitors.
Through it all, the waters of the Nidd twinkle gently, reflecting the illuminations of a ruined Royal castle still perched, quiet and proud, on its crag high above.