Bolton Abbey is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Yorkshire. Found in the Wharfedale area of the Yorkshire Dales, it is a 12th-century Augustinian monastery known as Bolton Priory. The site attracts tourists from all over the world year-round, but the area holds a dangerous secret.
Along a section of the River Wharfe known as the Bolton Strid lies what is said to be the most dangerous stretch of water in the world – and it’s just six feet wide. Beneath the surface, the Strid is unfathomably deep, and in its history has a 100% mortality rate. Found between Barden Tower and Bolton Abbey, it looks like a small, unassuming mountain stream – but it is anything but.
The narrow gap is an illusion. Underneath lies a network of caves and tunnels carrying the rest of the river’s water, the true depth of which remains unknown. What is certain is that a powerful undercurrent will drag anyone who falls into their death.
Just above the mouth of the Strid, the river flows at around 30 feet wide in an idyllic, tranquil stretch. However, a geological formation abruptly funnels hundreds of gallons of water into the narrow six-foot channel, creating a violent torrent below.
This results in the treacherous waters, which, if someone were to slip into, they would almost certainly never emerge from. Local legend maintains that 100% of those who have fallen into the Bolton Strid have died.
Carolyn Roberts, Professor of Environment at Gresham College, London, told The Daily Mail:
“Whilst the Strid is also beautiful, and looks innocuous, it’s similarly deadly. Rather than carving a stately way through silt, the Strid twists and turns through flat and overhanging rocks, falling over the edge of a limestone formation. Vortices in the flow will trap bodies under the water close to the bed or the sides, whilst the turbulence will render someone unconscious very quickly. It’s not a good place to play.”
Perhaps the most infamous life claimed by the Strid is that of William de Romilly, the son of Lady Alice de Romilly, who owned the land. He is said to have been swallowed by the Strid in 1152 after attempting to leap across it.
Watch as the depth of The Strid is tested below:
Read More: 8 Of The Most Quaint & Idyllic Yorkshire Dales Villages
Feature Image Credit: Photo © Ian Capper (cc-by-sa/2.0) / Flickr
