Mother Shiptons
Britains Oldest Visitor Attraction and Park
WELCOME TO MOTHER SHIPTON'S CAVE AND THE PETRIFYING WELL.
Mother Shipton’s Cave is England’s oldest visitor attraction, having been open since 1630. It was home to the famous prophetess and the petrifying well still stands as a unique, unspoilt remnant of the Royal Forest of Knaresborough.
THE STORY
Mother Shipton is England's most famous prophetess. She foretold the fates of several rulers within and just after her lifetime, as well as the invention of iron ships, the Great Fire of London in 1666, the defeat of the Spanish Armada and even the end of the world.
THE PARK
The park that is home to Mother Shipton’s Cave and the petrifying well is a unique, unspoilt remnant of the Royal Forest of Knaresborough. Sir Henry Slingsby’s Long Walk is described by English Heritage as “one of the best” of its kind and is one of Yorkshire’s top attractions. Over the last four centuries, millions of visitors from all over the world have been enchanted by the park’s natural beauty, mesmerised by the petrifying well and fascinated by Mother Shipton’s story.