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Monday 16 April 2018

A-Z Challenge 2018 - British Rivers: 'N' Nene, Nidd


I remember the River Nene in Northamptonshire from the days in the late 1950s when I used to play cricket for Peterborough on Sundays. Our route from Stamford took us down the A1 almost to Wansford and then along the A47 to Peterborough almost parallel to the course of the Nene.

Gardens beside the River Nene in Wansford
City Centre River Near Peterborough
The Nene is the 10th longest river in England rising in Northamptonshire. It forms the boundary with that county and Cambridgeshire and runs into the Wash.


River Nidd at Knaresborough, Yorkshire
A path beside the river takes you by a cave which legend says was the birthplace of soothsayer and prophetess Ursula Southheil, aka Mother Shipton. She is reputed to have foretold the Great Fire of London and the defeat of the Spanish Armada.

Mother Shipton's Cave
This is the entrance to her 'birthplace'.

The Mother Shipton Park is a major tourist attraction with the cave and a petrifying well where objects are turned to stone by the minerals in the water.

The Dropping Well

View of the River Nidd from above Mother Shipton's Cave
Photo attributions:
  • River Nene in Wansford: 26 August 2013 by Forester2009 - CC BY-SA 3.0 licence
  • City Centre River near Peterborough: June 1988 ex geograph.org.uk by John Goldsmith
  • River Nidd at Knaesborough: 11 February 2004 by CambridgeBayWrather - CC BY-SA 3.0 licence
  • Mother Shipton's Cave: 5 June 2010 by chris - CC BY 3.0 licence
  • The Dropping Well: 6 August 2005 ex geograph.org.uk by Chris Gunns - CC BY-SA 2.0 licence
  • River Nidd from above Mother Shipton's Cave: 6 August 2005 ex geograph.org.uk by Chris Gunns - CC BY-SA 2.0 licence


7 comments:

Anonymous said...

what a grand old dame , always lovely to meet a river I have never heard of before and the history notes as well. thank you

Wendy said...

Goodness - those objects hanging at the petrifying well would make me be very careful where I walked. I've never heard of anything like this. And yet, the river looks so lovely and peaceful.

Kristin said...

Now I'm wondering why Mother Shipton was born in a cave.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Bob - great two rivers to show us ... England at its best ... the cave is a little weird - but the limestone drip sculptures look fun - cheers Hilary

Emily in Ecuador said...

The gardens and arch bridge at Knaresborough are beautiful. The petrifying wall is amazing. Thanks for the tour, Bob.

Emily In Ecuador | Nets, Fishing Nets made in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador

Jo said...

At least I have heard of Mother Shipton and also the Nidd. Having lived most of my life in the South I don't know many rivers.

Linda Gardiner said...

Love the Dropping Well! My first time to your blog today. I will be headed to London & beyond in September. Fist time back since a college summer semester there...a touch over 40 years ago. Older son & wife are living there for 2 years. I will have to look every day & see what I might want to visit. Thanks for A to Zing.

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