Dead water: why a well of mother Shipton turns things into stone

There are many mystical and terrible places in the UK. This is greatly facilitated by the ancient and rich history of foggy albion, multiplied by the love of the inhabitants of Britain for legends and legends. One of the most mysterious and terrible attractions is in Nareboro and is called the well of mother Shipton. Water from it has strange properties that for centuries scared local residents.

Mother Shipton well, known for its unusual properties

Local residents call water from the well “dead.” She has properties to turn different objects into stone. This does not happen instantly, but fast enough. For example, plush toys become fossils in 2-3 months, and less porous objects in 1.5-2 years.

Mother Shipton and Cardinal Wolsi

The legend of Mother Shipton

Local legend says that Mother Shipton lived in a cave near the well in the 15th century. This woman possessed the gift of clairvoyance and, as was established in the Middle Ages, was considered a witch. She predicted both small events that were important for local peasants and global cataclysms. For example, the prophetess claimed that the end of the world would come in 1881. We know that this did not happen, but Shipton was still nicknamed the “Yorkshire Nostradamus.”

Mother Cave Shipton

Today, the cave and the well of mother Shipton is a popular tourist location. In Nresborough, the legend of the witch is actively exploited, trading in souvenirs and petrified objects from the well. The sights have even its own site, which tells the history of this place. It says that “in Knarezboro, a woman named Madame Shipton lived, and when she spoke, people believed her and conveyed her words.”

Petrified objects at the well of mother Shipton

For especially impressionable, it is indicated that the legend of 500 years was insisted on local bikes and gossip, who greatly embellished the history of Mother Shipton. Nevertheless, the witch is a well and actually has unusual properties. For the first time in historical sources, it is mentioned in 1534. The author writes that water from the well has “wonderful nature.” She turns to stone everything that falls on, and around him on the ground there are a variety of petrified objects.

The secret of water from the well

Of course, the power of water from the well of mother Shipton was greatly exaggerated. And it does not possess magical properties. Geologists explained this phenomenon by the fact that water is extremely saturated with minerals. It rises from a depth of about 1.6 km and dissolves rocks along the way. The analysis showed that it contains a large amount of iron, zinc, magnesium, aluminum and calcium carbonate.

Mineral composition of water from the well of mother Shipton

In 1630, the local rich man Charles Slingsby acquired a cave and a well. He quickly realized that on the unusual properties of water you can do business. The magical place became the attraction of Nareboro, which those who wish could look for money. Many visitors believed that the skeletons of animals, branches and clothing items laid out at the well were actually petrified when they sprayed with magical water.

Tourists at the well Mother Shipton

The first study of the well was conducted in 1896. When the water was weighed on accurate scales, they saw that her pint, that is, 0.56 liters, is 0.65 grams heavier than ordinary water. The investigated was determined that it contains 1140 milligrams of dissolved substances per liter. The scientific report says that the water is “rich in sulfates and carbonates, also contributes to the deposition of lime tuf.”

Tuff is one of the types of limestone. It is formed due to the release of carbonates dissolved in water, after it evaporates. Scientists note that the well consists of a tuf and another mineral, a denser – a travertine, also consisting of calcium carbonate. It is the deposition of salts on objects that causes their transformation into stone.

Petrified objects at the well of mother Shipton

Centuries of pilgrimage to the well, Mother Shipton could not help but leave traces. Today, near it, you can see many objects covered with minerals. Among them, the shoe of the Queen Mary, left by the hostess in the well in 1923, the 1853 cylinder and a toy in the form of Evok, brought by the Hollywood star Warwick Davis.

The well in Nareboro is not the only place with similar properties. In one of the mines of the city of Falun in Sweden, one day they found a “metal ruDOKOP”.

Would you like to visit these wells and see this unusual phenomenon with your own eyes? Share your thoughts in the comments!

See also – the monastery of stone snakes – why did Bram Stoker love the Uitby abbey?