Knaresborough

The town stands on a limestone cliff above the Nidd, with the castle at the top and a railway viaduct of 1851 crossing the gorge in four arches, castellated to suit the setting after an earlier attempt collapsed into the river during construction. The castle keep is a ruin: Richard II was imprisoned here in 1399, and the fortress was slighted in the seventeenth century. Across the river, the Petrifying Well runs water so high in dissolved minerals that objects hung in it are coated and turned to stone within months; teddy bears, hats and gloves hang under the flow, and the well has been shown to paying visitors since 1630, which makes it arguably England's oldest tourist attraction. It is associated with Mother Shipton, a prophetess said to have been born in the cave beside it in 1488.

What you actually see

• The Petrifying Well - objects turned to stone by mineral-laden water.
• The viaduct - four castellated arches of 1851 across the gorge.
• The castle keep - a slighted ruin above the cliff, with a sallyport tunnel.
• The riverside - rowing boats and a painted house on the cliff face.

When to go

April to October; the Bed Race in June is a genuine local spectacle with teams carrying beds through the town and across the river. Boat hire on the Nidd runs in summer.

Honest expectations

Mother Shipton's park is ticketed and the prophecy material attached to it is largely Victorian invention. The town is steep, with hard climbs from the riverside to the market square. Parking is limited in the centre.

Nearby

Harrogate is a short train ride; Ripon and Fountains Abbey lie north.