Mother Shipton's Well is a tourist attraction.

 

Even before the story of the Yorkshire seeress comes of age this particular well near the Knaresborough caves is seen as holding divine powers. 

 

According to legend the townspeople would not approach the well due to it's magical power. Stories had surfaced where some people had witnessed strange events occur. It was believed that the water in the well could turn objects to stone. For that reason people avoided the well.

 

Shipton's Well is sometimes called the Petrifying Well. It was once called the Dropping Well.

 

 

Knaresborough's well is fed from a waterfall. The waters rise through an aquifer porous rock which bring water up from an underground reservoir.

 

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Is there a scientific explanation to why the waters of the Shipton well turn stuff to stone ?

 

Where is Shipton's Cave ?

 

Where is the River Nidd ?

 

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Attribution - Petrifying Well, Knaresborough, Yorkshire

image by 1967geezer

 

Mineral water cascades over the edge and gradually turns anything hanging there into stone.