KNARESBOROUGH AND SCRIVEN.

THESE townships, though the main bulk of them are on the north-eastern bank of the river Nidd, project a large wedgeshaped piece of land into the forest,* between the townships of Bilton-with-Harrogate and Plumpton, on which are some places of interest, as well as much beautiful scenery. Close to the right bank of the Nidd is the Long Walk, which was laid out and some of the trees planted by Sir Henry Slingsby, Bart., in the year 1739. In summer this is a delightful place; on the right rises the steep bank, clothed with tall forest trees, with here and there a rocky precipice, clothed with shrubs, ferns, and mosses; on the other is the river, full to the brim; lower down it dashes over a dam, and then runs onward, rippling over rocks. Beyond the river, on the sides of a steep precipice of rugged limestone rock, rises the town of Knaresboroughthe houses clinging to the steep sides of the hill in almost every variety of position, interspersed with rocks and gardens; the venerable parish church and the ruined castle forming prominent

Many small detached portions of land on the forest belong to these townships, which were awarded on the enclosure of the forest. The limits of these two townships and that of Harrogate, are so intermixed, that we have not attempted to disentangle them. Some pieces of land, even in the town of Harrogate, belong to the townships of Knaresborough and Scriven, while detached portions of Harrogate are to be met with at Thistle Hill, south of Knaresborough. The windmill, small chapel, and many of the cottages at Forest Lane Head, belong to Harrogate.

objects in the picture; and then, as if to add to the variety of the scene, the lofty and massive railway viaduct spans the valley, far above our heads; the whole forming a picture of almost unique variety and beauty. In summer the whole of this plot of ground is full of wild flowers-some of them of the rarest kinds; and is a choice spot for the botanist and the lover of natural beauty. Passing along this walk, nearly to the Low Bridge, we reach

THE DROPPING WELL.

This is one of the strongest and most celebrated petrifying springs in the kingdom; it is also distinguished as being the place where the renowned Yorkshire prophetess, Mother Shipton, was born. Leland, the father of English topography, gives the following account of this spring-"A little above March Bridge, but on the farther ripe of Nidde, as I cam, is a well of a wonderful nature, caullid Droping Welle, for out of the great rokkes by it distilleth water continually into it. This water is so could, and of such a nature, that what thing soever faullith oute of the rokkes ynto this pitte, or ys caste in, or growith about the rokke and is touched of this water, growith ynto stone; or else sum sand, or other fine ground that is about the rokkes cummith doune with the continualle droping of the springes in the rokkes, and clevith on such thinges as it takith, and so clevith aboute it, and giveth it by continuance the shape of a stone. There was ons, as I hard say, a conduct of stone made to convey water from this Welle, over Nid, to the priory of Knaresburgh; but this was decayed afore the dissolution of the house."

Dr. Dean, in his Spandarine Anglica, published in 1626, thus describes this spring-"It is called the Dropping Well

"Itinerary," vol. ii., p. 95.

because it drops, distils, and trickles down from the rock above; the water whereof is of a petrifying nature-turns everything to a stony substance in a short time. At first it rises up not far from the said rock, and running a little way in one intire current till it comes almost to the brim of the cragg, where being opposed by a dam (as it were artificial) of certain spongy stones, it afterwards is divided into many smaller branches, and falls from on high. It's said to be very effectual in staying any flux of the body."

A much fuller description is given by Dr. Short, in his "History of Mineral Waters," 1784. He says, "The most noted of the petrifying waters in Yorkshire is the Dropping Well at Knaresborough, which rises up about fourteen yards below the top of a small mountain of marlstone (properly limestone of a very coarse grain) on the west side of the town and river, and about twenty-six yards from the bank of the Nid, where it falls down in the same contracted rapid stream; about a yard, and, at a second fall, at two yards distance it comes two foot lower, then three or four, and so falls upon an easy ascent; divides, and spreads itself upon the top of an isthmus of a petrified rock, generated out of the water, there falls down round it; about four or five yards from the river, the top of this isthmus or rock hangs over its bottom four yards. This rock is ten yards high, sixteen yards long, and from thirteen to sixteen yards broad, but on the backside it is twelve yards high. This little island slipt down and started from the common bank about thirty years ago, and leaves a chasm between them from a yard and a half to three yards wide; in this chasm, on the back and lower side of the part that is fallen down, are petrified twigs of trees, shrubs, and grass roots, hanging in most beautiful pillars, all interwoven and forming a great many charming figures. On

the other, or common bank side of the chasm, are whole banks or coverings, like stalactites-very hard, and inseparable (without breaking) from the rock, where the water trickles down from the opposite side. This spring sends out about twenty gallons in a minute, of the sweetest water I ever tasted. From its rise till its fall down the common bank are several patrifactions upon the stones, but none on the grass, &c., till it come within two yards of the bank top. It springs out of a small hole like a little sough, in the middle of a thick set of shrubs. This little isthmus is beautifully cloathed with ash, osier, elm, ivy, sambucus cervicaria major, geraniums, wood mercury, hart'stongue, ladies' mantle, scabious, cowslips, wild angelica, meadow-sweet, hypericon, &c. This water, both at the spring and from the rocks, is of equal weight, and each twenty-four grains in a pint heavier than common water."

Dr. Hunter, in 1830, gave the following analysis of this water, per imperial gallon

"When the water is exposed by slowly trickling over any surface, the carbonic acid gas flies off, and the carbonate of lime, which by its means was held in solution in the water, is deposited in a solid form. The sulphate of lime, a salt of little solubility, and easily separated from water, also assists in the effect. The concretions, on analysis, furnish carbonate of lime, sulphate of lime, carbonate of magnesia, and a trace of the muriates.*

"Treatise on the Waters of Harrogate," p. 75.

Michael Drayton, who so sweetly chanted "Polyolbion," in song the twenty-eighth thus describes the Dropping Well

"And near the stream of Nyde, another spring have I,
As well as that which may a wonder's place supply,
Which of the form it bears, men Dropping Well do call,
Because out of a rock it still in drops doth fall;
Near to the foot whereof it makes a little pon,

Which, in as little space, converteth wood to stone."

He also bestows a few lines on the river Nidd and Knares

borough Forest.

"From Wharnside Hill not far outflows the nimble Nyde,
Through Nythersdale, along as sweetly she doth glide

Tow'rds Knaresburgh on her way

Where that brave forest stands

Entitled by the town, who, with upreared hands,

Makes signs to her of joy, and doth with garlands crown
The river passing by."

The greatest seeming anomaly about this rock and spring is that the water makes the stone over which it flows, which stone is continually on the increase; and, owing to the disproportionate weight on the upper part, it has frequently slipped down, and most certainly will do the like again. The first known fall was in 1701; it sunk again in 1816, and in 1823. The scenery around is particularly interesting and beautiful.

Something ought to be said of Mother Shipton, who, according to the unchanging voice of popular tradition, was born near this Dropping Well. She is the most distinguished of all the natives of the Forest of Knaresborough, and her reputation is one that is not likely to die. This is more due to her extraordinary abilities than to her personal comeliness-for, if we can believe that the sign of the adjoining public-house is a true portrait, she was the embodiment of ugliness itself. She is said to have been born early in the reign of King Henry VII.; the daughter of Agatha Sonthiel and the Prince of the air; to have delivered her prophecies to the abbot of Beverley; married

R