Any object that falls into this well will turn into fossil after a while. From here, countless different legends were born.

On the banks of the River Nidd, the town of Knaresborough in North Yorkshire is one of the oldest tourist attractions in Britain. It is famous for a petrifying well that was once said to be cursed by the devil, turning anything that dripped water into it to stone.

The surface of the well looks like a giant skull, most people do not dare to go near it because they believe that if they touch it, they will turn into stone. Some people have hung many things under this well, after only a few weeks, all of them have turned into fossils. There are many things that tourists hang up like teddy bears, hats, toys… even a bicycle has been brought here.

In a document by archaeologist John Leyland, who visited the well in 1538, it was written that many visitors came because they were told that if they bathed in its water, they would be cured of their illnesses.

According to legend, Shipton was the daughter of a local prostitute and was born in a cave not far from the cursed well. Shipton was always considered ugly since she was a child because her father was a devil. She often told people about the future, her predictions were very accurate, such as the invention of the telephone in 1588 and the defeat of Spain in 1666. Her fame grew and spread, bringing with it the fame of the nearby petrifying well.

Another legend has it that in 1630, King Charles I sold the land containing the well to a local gentleman named Sir Charles Slingsby. The well’s popularity and the fossils it contained attracted many visitors. Mr. Slingsby began charging visitors, inadvertently turning the site into England’s first tourist attraction.

Scientists have finally figured out the magic behind the petrification process. The water here has a high mineral content, which will precipitate on objects when it comes into contact, creating a hard shell similar to the stalactites and stalagmites that form in caves.

The surprising thing here is its petrification speed, instead of centuries, objects when exposed to this water can petrify from a few weeks to 5 months. Teddy bears petrify very quickly, because they are porous and absorb water quickly, so many people hang them here as souvenirs. Anyone who comes to visit here also leaves something like rings, clothes, kitchen utensils…