Getting affordable and fun activities organised for young kids, especially with the summer holidays looming, can easily turn into a Herculean task.
Yorkshire Live’s Lifestyle Reporter, Megan Shaw, recently took her two boys, aged 10 and four, to visit one of Britain’s oldest tourist spots: Mother Shipton’s Cave in Knaresborough.
Having been welcoming visitors since 1630, Mother Shipton’s Cave is steeped in English folklore as the birthplace of the country’s most celebrated seeress. The cosy cave tells the story of her life and prophetic heritage, including the prediction of the Great Fire of London and accounts of Blind Jack, an ingenious road builder from the 18th century.
In addition to the symbolic cave, the petrifying well stands strikingly nearby, known for encrusting coming items with mineral deposits.
Megan and her kids ventured on the picturesque woodland walk leading to the ancient cave, leaving them truly amazed by nature’s beauty. But it wasn’t just the sylvan landscape that made their day, reports the Mirror.
“There’s lots to keep them entertained along the way, from the big coin trees fit with hammers to knock your own coins into the huge adventure playground about halfway around,” she commented.
She also mentioned: “The adventure playground is great and has plenty for all ages including a giant ship, sand pit, climbing frame, slide and zip wire – which was a huge hit.”
The excursion turned into a magical history lesson for Megan’s boys as they were captivated by the petrifying well and the cave, with its eerie statue of Mother Shipton.
“We passed the petrifying well first, the boys were fascinated by the items that were hanging ‘frozen’ such as a teddy and children’s clothing, before we went inside the cave,” she added.
“Inside the dark and eerie cave there is a statue of Mother Shipton, there are two buttons inside one that reads ‘adults’ and one that reads ‘children’, the boys pressed ‘children’ and we were greeted by the sound of thunder, my youngest ran straight back out initially but he soon came back – too intrigued by what was being said.”
A voiceover narrates the life of Mother Shipton from her own perspective as a child, detailing her birth in the cave during a thunderstorm and the cruelty she faced due to her appearance, which led to accusations of witchcraft.
“The story is fascinating for both adults and children alike and they were both completely compelled by the mysterious tale,” Megan said.
After delving into the depths of the cave, the family’s adventure continued to the gift shop, brimming with “treasures and oddities”.
Megan concluded: “Overall we spent around two hours there, it cost £36 for four of us and that included parking as well, the attraction has often been criticised for being too expensive, but I thought it was a reasonable price to pay to preserve a fascinating piece of history.
“The attraction is unique, enriching and educational as well as being fun and entertaining, both the boys really enjoyed the day, as did myself and my partner and we can’t wait to go back again.”