Mother Shiptons Cave Knaresborough - A low cost family day out
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We've been making the most of the gorgeous weather we've been having in the UK and trying to get out in nature as much as possible. At weekends and during half term holidays the focus for activities has been low cost / getting out in nature + sunshine / educating whilst we explore (getting ready to world school).
Getting the kids off their devices during half term get's harder each holiday as they get older, they could spend all day on them if allowed. Stopping only for snacks and a sleep. Then rinse - repeat. This is the easy option for parents all over that work for themselves. Especially where there is no family to help out. The struggle is real and the juggle is still on when it hit's half term especially - kids being off and still having to run a time hungry business. You'd think after 15 years of doing this I would be a super mum and have it all sussed. I'm not. And I don't.
(wishing tree's - at Mother Shiptons)
Always looking at areas of life improvement, I save Instagram + Pinterest posts in a folder labelled 'Days Out', which is jam packed with ideas of days out with kids. I look in on the folder from time to time, feeling proud of how much saving and pinning I've done - but then feeling lame again at JUST HOW MUCH PINNING I'VE DONE. Knowing that most of the days will never see the retina's of our real eyes. Like I said something has to give and this last year we decided to attack the juggle with a little more planning, time management than our past endeavours.
This half term I resorted to my shortlist of ideas for things to do / days out with the kids. And Mother Shiptons Cave seemed perfect. An hours drive from where we live. Low cost and gets us out & about in nature (off devices + the other dopamine hits of modern fast life)
There are lot's of very boring, expensive, crap days out when you have kids that leave us feeling a bit meh if we're honest. Half term holiday prices go through the roof and we can end up spending a small fortune trying to entertain these little terrorists.
This one is a sharer though. Mother Shipton's Cave - in Knaresborough. A cheap day out with kids that I'd definitely recommend. Weather dependant however. We went on a beautiful sunny day, which was key for us. Since we worship the sun and everything is just better in the sun. Am I right.
Mother Shipton's Cave Knaresborough
Mother Shipton's Cave is England's oldest tourist attraction in Knaresborough UK. Near Harrogate, Knaresborough is a historic market town perched on the cliffs of the river Nidd, with lots of medieval streets, side streets with stone steps to explore. And on a trainline that passes over a beautiful grade ii listed viaduct that goes over the river.
image of Knaresborough Viaduct from Visit Harrogate
We didn't spend any time in the town, as this was a daytime visit - but driving through the town to get to Mother Shiptons looked so pretty and definitely somewhere that would be lovely to stay in an AirB&B for 24 hours. There's a Wednesday market opened by the Town Cryer, plenty of pubs, restaurant, tea rooms and cafes. With castle ruins, Nidd Caves and gardens to explore. The river Nidd with boats to hire. Enough to fill a 24 hour period, I wish we'd have stayed over just the one night with the kids. Next time. This guide will be helpful if you are planning 24 hours in Knaresborough.
Mother Shiptons cave itself is a historic site, listed in the National Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England.
The grounds are pretty magical. Beautiful woodlands full of mystery, tall Beech trees, pathways, with the river Nedd flowing through.
a kids playground, waterfall with the mysterious Petrifying Well where items hung up underneath the waters ‘turn to stone’, a wishing well and cave (the birthplace of the prophetess, Mother Shipton) that you can go inside.
With traditional ice cream vans and coffee vans scattered throughout.
The trail ends with a museum.
The legend of Mother Shipton is full of mystery and magic. You can buy a guide on entry (which cost £1)
and worth it as a souveneir to take home which tells all about the history and mystery of Mother Shipton.
Born in a cave in 1488, Mother Shipton became known as Knaresborough’s Prophetess, a witch if you like and known as Yorkshire's answer to Nostradamus. She foretold the fates of several rulers within her lifetime and after, and predicted the invention of iron ships, the Great Fire of London in 1666, and the defeat of the Spanish Armada long before the events happened.
She made traditional remedies and potions, had premonitions, and could predict the future. Making her living telling the future and warning those who asked of what was to come.
Mother Shipton lived in the cave with her Mother in her formative years until she was taken in by a local family.
llustration from Mother Shipton Investigated (1881) by William Henry Harrison via Public Domain Review
Mother Shipton's cave sits in a beautiful park with paths to walk and explore.
Inside the cave at Mother Shiptons.
Visit the Petrifying well where the high mineral content in the water turns objects into stone. Or shall we say covers the item in stone giving the appearance of turning to stone. Here you'll find objects left and hung by famous people, hanging like magical stone artefacts. The process to turn a small teddy bear into stone can take between 3-5 months. You can even buy your own petrified teddy bear from the gift shop.
The water from the waterfall is thought to have healing qualities, and you can enter a cave behind this waterfall and make a wish by holding your hand in the water, setting your intention or making a wish and then letting the hand dry naturally in the air. We all left our wishes there - I wonder if they'll come true....!
You pay to enter and the gates per car and plenty of parking spaces to park the car up and set out on the walk/trail. We wore sliders / sandals here, no special walking shoes required. It's a gentle easy stroll along pathways, with plenty of picnic spaces along the way. At time of writing we paid £33 entry for the car which gave us 2.5 hours inside.
This is plenty of time to walk around leisurely, stop at each view point, spend time in the playground etc. If you are planning a picnic there, there are places to sit down and eat - whether thats grassy spot on the park with a picnic blanket or wooden booths and huts with tables and benches if the weather isn't as dry. We had our picnic in the park, but time ran away with us, so it may be worth saving your picnic until after you leave the park. There are so many public places outside of the site, along the river that you could picnic without it eating into your 2.5 hour time.
They hold events throughout the year where they theme the park. We visited during the Spring half term where they had a Pirates and Mermaids event. We think it would be magical to visit at Halloween and Christmas - where they hold themed events there too. Wrapped up warm with a hot chocolate.
Helpful Tips to know when visiting Mother Shiptons:
- Dogs are welcome on leads. With dog friendly ice cream and pupaccino stations.
- Online booking is recommended.
- Winners of The Little Viking Awards 2023 (celebrating the very best of family-friendly activities and attractions in York and surrounding areas)
- A very detailed background history of Mother Shipton : Divining the Witch of YorkPropaganda and Prophecy by Ed Simon
Let me know in the comments if you plan to visit Mother Shiptons Cave or whether you've visited before. We'd love to go at Halloween / Christmas so please let us know your experiences. And wether your wishes came true! Follow our Instagram and subscribe to our new Youtube accounts to see videos and reels of our family visit to Mother Shiptons.
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And always leave a comment below if this page has helped you. I only write and share stuff on the blog to help. So let me know. Does it help? Did you get something from it? And what do you want to know going forward? I am at your service, Fletchy McFletchface xx
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